


Dreaming in Black and White

by aalissy



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Fluff, Have I Mentioned How Much I Love Fluff?, Jealous Adrien Agreste, LadyNoir - Freeform, Light Angst, Marichat, adrienette - Freeform, colorblind au, fluffy fluff, ladrien
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-06
Updated: 2019-12-03
Packaged: 2020-01-05 20:31:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 54,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18373547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aalissy/pseuds/aalissy
Summary: Marinette lives in a world without color, until that is, she can find the love of her life, her one true soulmate, and open her eyes to the way the world truly looks. However, things take a turn for the worse when her longtime crush, Adrien rejects her in favor of another. Lost and confused, she finds relief in the form of her superhero partner, Chat Noir, and maybe even a certain musician.





	1. Just Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome to my first ever fanfic :D!! Though this isn't my first story, this is the first thing I've ever posted and I'm suuper excited to be sharing it with you! I reeeealllly hope you guys enjoy it! Though Adrienette is going to be endgame there is definitely going to be some Lukanette in this story cause I love my blueberry xD!! Kudos and comments give me lifeeee btw so feel free to tell me what you think. Both the good and the bad lol. Also a massive thanks to my best friend, Olivia, for listening to me not shut up about this since the idea first popped into my head hehe.

Marinette’s eyes blinked open to the cold, black, and dull world around her. Her eyes quickly scanned around the entirety of her room, as they did every morning, hoping to catch a flicker of color but was never able to. Sighing to herself, she casually stretched before allowing a smile to break free across her face and hopped out of bed. She had realized long ago that the only way for her to see color would be to ask out her soulmate.

Shy as she was, she could still barely speak a word to her long-time crush, Adrien. Because of this, it may be a little while longer before she could see the world the way her parents could. Blowing a kiss to the nearest Adrien poster hung atop her wall, she plopped down at her desk and pulled her dark hair into two neat pigtails. Once finished with that, she logged onto her computer and began playing her favorite game, _Ultimate Mecha Strike III_ _._

“Marinette, you’re going to be late you know,” a tinkling voice called from behind her.

“AAAH, Tikki you scared me!” she screamed at the floating bug, falling from her chair and losing all of her latest progress in the game. Pouting at the screen for a moment, her head snapped quickly back to the kwami who had darted her way over to her bedroom nightstand.

She giggled embarrassedly before pointing at the alarm clock, “Marinette, look at the time.”

Her brows furrowed as she stared at the glowing white light before she finally realized what Tikki meant, “Oh my gosh,you’re so right,” she screamed before dashing off and shoving her schoolwork into her backpack. Racing down the stairs, she shouted her goodbyes at her parents who merely chuckled and shook their heads in disbelief at her. Plunging her feet into her shoes placed casually at the entrance hall, she raced down the stairs and out the door.

Rushing through the streets of Paris, she ducked and weaved against the onslaught of gray people coming towards her. As she neared the school, and the crowds began to thin, Tikki’s head popped up out of her light gray purse, “Maybe next time instead of kissing Adrien’s picture, you’ll actually pay attention to the clock,” she giggled.

“Shh, Tikki,” she glared at the bug, “and I wasn’t kissing Adrien’s picture,” Marinette blushed.

“I know... I know. You playing video games all morning is you practicing your hand-eye coordination for when you’re Ladybug.”

“That’s right,” Marinette said proudly, puffing out her chest.

“Do you even realize how ridiculous you sound sometimes?” Tikki laughed, wiping glistening tears from her eyes.

Pursing her lips at the kwami, she grumbled at her, “If you’ll quit laughing at me we’re almost at school and I don’t want anyone to see you.”

Sticking her tongue out at Marinette, she dived back into the purse, “Love you Marinette,” she called from the recesses of the small bag.

“Love you too, Tikki,” she whispered back, before bursting through the doors and onto school grounds. Just as the bell rang, she managed to stumble straight into class.

“Thank you for joining us, Marinette. If you’ll have a seat now I can begin class,” Miss Bustier nodded at her usual space next to Alya. Blushing and muttering an apology, she quickly sat down next to Alya and opened up her backpack to take out her assignments.

“Your shoes are different colors, you know,” her best friend whispered to her, with a smirk on her face.

Squinting her eyes down at the shoes that were currently underneath her desk, she could faintly make out that they were, in fact, two slightly different shades of gray. Blinking her eyes up at Alya, she frowned at the girl in confusion, “How did you...” Alya continued to merely smirk at her before Marinette’s eyes widened comically, “No way!” she whisper-shouted towards her.

“Something you’d like to share with the class Marinette?” Miss Bustier declared, tapping her foot impatiently at the flustered girl.

“No Mademoiselle,” she blushed. Turning to Alya, whose shoulders were shaking in silent laughter, she stuck out her tongue at her. As she began to take notes from the lecture, she kept sneaking glances at Alya who was pretending to ignore her. Finally, once she was certain that Miss Bustier had forgotten about her slip-up she pestered her best friend again, “Did Nino finally ask you out?” Marinette whispered over to her. Alya merely shook her head, causing Marinette to frown in confusion, “Then who...”

“I asked him,” Alya proudly smirked at her.

Marinette could barely conceal her squeal of excitement, “Of course you did! You’re amazing!”

Alya beamed at her best friend, “Which reminds me girl, you really need to gain up the courage and finally ask Adrien out!”

Gnawing on her lip nervously, she snuck a peek at the beautiful boy in front of her. She sighed dreamily at the idea of discovering the beauty of colors with Adrien. Turning back to her best friend, she shook her head with a light flush filling her cheeks, “I can barely even speak sentences around him,” she giggled embarrassedly, “But what about you? What do colors even look like?” she questioned eagerly.

Alya sighed disappointedly at her, before pursing her lips, “Well I don’t really know the names of everything yet... but your hair seems, I don’t know, almost cool and refreshing? It’s hard to describe...”

Marinette blinked her eyes in wonder, “Wow, that sounds amazing,” she murmured delightedly. Though the majority of emotions stirring in Marinette’s chest were happy ones, she couldn’t fight off the slight feeling of envy that Alya had already found her soulmate, “I hope you know that I’m now gonna ask you what color everything is,” she giggled happily.

Alya merely rolled her eyes teasingly, “God girl, you’re gonna be a real pest about this aren’t you?”

Marinette merely giggled again, knowing that Alya was all too willing to describe every color she could see.

Suddenly, they were dragged out of their wonderful world of whispers about colors and Alya’s descriptions of them, when Miss Bustier cleared her throat at them pointedly, “Alya, Marinette, if you’d kindly begin paying attention to class so that you’re prepared for your assignments.”

Both girls flushed, before murmuring their apologies and turned back to their notes, in which they hadn’t written anything since the beginning of class.

Not even a few minutes later, a slip of paper was slid across the other side of the desk to her, and Marinette snuck a mischievous glance at Alya before opening the page.

_I wonder what color Ladybug’s suit is?_

Marinette glanced at her friend before nodding her head furiously. She had also always been curious as to what she looked like as Ladybug. Sneaking a peek at the teacher she quickly wrote Alya back.

_I also always wondered what Chat Noir’s eyes look like. You absolutely have to tell me!_

Alya laughed silently at her note, causing Marinette to frown slightly. _Why was Alya laughing at her note,_ she casually wondered to herself.

_Why? Have you got a crush on Paris’ mysterious superhero?_

Marinette flushed deeply before scrunching her nose up in distaste and sticking her tongue out at her best friend.

_Of course not! You know I only have eyes for one man and it’s certainly not that pesky Tomcat!_

She rolled her eyes, before pointedly staring at the boy in front of them.

_Wow, girl, so defensive when I was only teasing... you sure nothing’s going on with you and Chat Noir?_

Marinette merely shook her head at her friend, chuckling slightly at the idea of being with her goofy, flirtatious partner.

_Positive. Now seriously we need to actually start paying attention before we completely lose track of what we’re doing._

Alya’s arms crossed in annoyance before she finally nodded her head in agreement, thanks to Marinette’s fiery glare.

_Fine. Want to come to the movies with Nino and I after school though? We’re trying to get Adrien to come with._

Marinette’s eyes lit up as soon as she saw the note, again staring at the boy in front of her, before nodding her head eagerly.

_I’ll have to ask my parents but I’m sure they’ll say yes!_

Though Marinette attempted to pay attention to the rest of the lecture, her mind was filled with daydreams of going to the movies with Adrien. _Maybe he would offer to share a popcorn with her, and their hands would accidentally touch, reaching for the same piece at the same time,_  she giggled to herself silently. _Then, maybe afterwards she would be able to muster up the courage to ask him out. If Alya could do it, why couldn’t she_? Her eyes were unintentionally drawn to the boy in front of her, as she nibbled on her lip nervously.

Staring for a few more minutes, she was jarred from her daydream as the bell rang. Jumping out of her seat in shock, she fell almost directly on her face. From the purse that remained safely hooked to her side, she could hear a small, tinkling laugh. Glaring at the purse, she wished Tikki could witness the look of anger on her face right now.

“Need some help?” a voice called in front of her.

Her head practically shot up at the sound of the boy in front of her, “A-Adrien!” she glanced at the hand held out to her before blushing and quickly rising up to her feet, “T-That’s ok. I do can it myself.”

Adrien’s curious smile turned into a slight chuckle, as she mentally slapped her forehead for stumbling on her words once again.

“So, um, are you going to see the movie with Alya, Nino, and I tonight?” she glanced up at him from beneath her lashes, anxiously tapping her two index fingers together.

Adrien seemed surprised for a moment before rubbing the back of his neck, “I don’t know. I have to ask my dad still, but if he’s alright with it, I’ll definitely be there.”

Marinette chuckled nervously, “Well I hope you can make it,” sneaking a quick peek at Alya over Adrien’s shoulder, who was giving her a thumbs-up, she let out a relieved breath, “Well, it looks like Alya’s calling me. Bye Adrien!” rushing over to Alya, she grabbed her arm and practically yanked her out of the classroom.

As she rushed out of the classroom, clutching onto her best friend’s arm she barely heard Adrien’s goodbye. As soon as they both made it outside, Alya burst into peals of laughter.

“How long were you listening to us?” she groaned out loud.

“Since the very beginning of ‘I do can it myself,’” Alya grasped onto her sides, unable to control her roaring laughter.

Feeling her face heat up, Marinette muttered a quiet, “At least I managed to talk to him this time.”

Wiping tears from her eyes, Alya continued giggling, “That is true. You guys managed to hold a conversation for at least a minute.”

Marinette groaned again, “It’s not my fault I can barely force out a sentence when I look into his stupid, beautiful, model face.”

The giggles from Alya seemed to have subsided finally, and Marinette noticed her friend turned to look at her, “Listen Marinette, I’m sur-” Not used to her friend stopping in the middle of a sentence she blinked over at her with a slight frown on her face. Alya was staring at her face with a look that seemed almost like fascination.

“W-What?” she stuttered out confusedly.

“Your face is a different color than it usually is.”

Covering the sides of her face with her hands, Marinette nibbled on her lip nervously, “What does that mean? Is that a bad thing?”

Alya’s brow furrowed in a look of confusion that mirrored Marinette’s own, “I don’t know.”

Marinette shook her head in an attempt to shake off her nervousness, “Well, I’ll ask my mom once I get back home, hopefully, it’s nothing serious.”

 _Surely it can’t be anything too serious otherwise I’d feel sick or something, right?_  She thought to herself before bringing the subject back to Adrien, “I was wondering... do you think I should ask Adrien out after the movie?”

Alya’s face lit up before she beamed at her, “I think that’s an amazing idea Marinette! You go and get that Agreste boy!” she paused before frowning slightly, “Hopefully his dad lets him come though...”

“Yeah, I guess I’m just being optimistic,” she smiled shyly.

“Ooh girl, I know you’re absolutely gonna knock him dead!”

“Alya, hush!” she giggled playfully, gently bumping her shoulder against her best friend’s, as they continued their walk to her house.

 


	2. Movie Dates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the second chapter! Please let me know how you feel in the comments below as reviews keep me alive and happy!! As always a big thank you to Olivia for going over the second chapter for me! I hope you all enjoy and lemme know if you see any mistakes :)

Marinette gently swiveled back and forth in her chair as she worked on her math homework. Tikki was sat next to her, quietly nibbling on a cookie, as she peered over Marinette’s shoulder at her work. The more she worked on the problems, the more exhausted and frustrated she became, “Why does math have to exist?” Marinette grumbled to herself as she furiously erased all her work, as she realized her answer was completely wrong.

Hearing a quiet chime from her phone on her chaise, she practically leaped towards it, also leaping at the chance to avoid working on the same annoying problem. Flopping down onto the soft padding, she eagerly unlocked her phone to check the notification she just got. It was a text from Alya and when she opened it she began squealing with girlish glee and began kicking her legs up and down.

“Marinette, what’s wrong?” Tikki questioned, flitting over towards her.

“What’s wrong Tikki? More like what’s right!!!” Marinette shouted, jumping onto her feet, and practically shoved her phone in Tikki’s face, causing her to have to back up slightly in order to read the message from Alya. 

_ Guess who’s coming to movie night guuuurllll. A certain Adrien Agreste  _ 😏

Once Tikki finished reading the message, Marinette began dancing around her room, “Adrien’s coming to movie night!! Adrien’s coming to movie night! Do you know what this means Tikki?!” 

“Uh... Adrien’s coming to movie night?”

“EXACTAMUNDO. I can’t believe his dad is letting him come, but who cares... Adrien is coming!!” As sudden as her excited wiggle around her room had started, it came to an end as she let out a high-pitched wail, “What on Earth am I going to wear, Tikki?!” dashing over to her wardrobe, she began throwing clothes out left and right.

Tikki once again floated over towards her, attempting to calm the hyperactive, panicking girl, “Marinette, I’m sure you’ll look great no matter what you wear.”  
“You don’t understand Tikki. What if Adrien and I decide to split a popcorn and then both our hands lean over to grab the exact same piece at the exact same time and then he looks over at me and leans in to kiss me but then notices what I’m wearing and tells me I look gross or something?” she finally paused her emotional tirade of a fantasy encounter with Adrien and gulped in a much-needed breath of air. Turning away from the hovering kwami, she once again began to increase her growing pile of clothes.

Tikki blinked her big bug eyes at the girl before sighing, “Marinette you know Adrien would never do anything like that. Besides, he can’t see color, exactly the same as you, so how is he going to know if your socks don’t match your dress.”

A gasp came from inside the wardrobe before suddenly Marinette’s head whipped outside to look at Tikki, “I can’t see color. Oh my goodness Tikki you’re so right. How did you get to be such a genius?” nibbling on her lip she eventually snapped her fingers together, “Mom. I need mom.” 

Tikki rolled her eyes as the girl rushed to open her trapdoor, shouting mom all along the way, “Wasn’t exactly the point I was trying to convey to you there Marinette,” she murmured to herself as she ducked into the girl’s open purse. Praying that Marinette would be able to find a cute outfit, and hopefully some calm as well, Tikki curled up to take a small nap. 

As Marinette skittered down the stairs, she came to an abrupt halt as she found her mom in the kitchen, mixing ingredients while humming along to some quiet music. “Mom...” she panted out again, as she attempted to catch her breath. 

“Hmm, yes dear?” Sabine asked, yet didn’t look up from her bowl.

“Can you help me pick out an outfit for the movies?” 

Her mom’s head finally perked up towards her in curiosity, “You’ve never needed my help before...” 

Marinette felt her face heat up before she quietly murmured, “Well Adrien’s going to be there and... I mean... well... I um, I wanted to look good,” chancing a peek at her mother’s face she noticed a knowing smile had overtaken it.

“Well if Adrien’s going to be there then you must look good,” she said before putting her bowl down on the counter and made her way over to the stairs that would take her up to Marinette’s room. 

Feeling her face get warm again, she followed after her mom. Placing a hand on her cheek she recalled the conversation that she had with Alya as they walked home. “Hey mom, what does it mean when your face turns a different color... does that mean I’m getting sick? Cause Alya said it changed this afternoon but I don’t feel any different.”

“It depends upon the color, did Alya happen to mention what color it was?” 

Marinette shook her head before realizing her mother was in front of her and wouldn’t be able to see it, “No. She doesn’t know all the names of colors yet. But my face did feel warm when she pointed it out to me.” 

“Hmm, well, were you discussing anything embarrassing at all?”

Marinette chuckled lightly, “Yeah. We were talking about Adrien.”

Opening the trapdoor, Marinette’s mother smiled down at her, “It sounds like you’re only blushing which is nothing to worry about. It tends to happen when you do something embarrassing or drink too much. You seem to do it a lot when Adrien gets brought up.”

Giggling quietly, Marinette followed her mother through the trapdoor before realizing she was stood staring at the massive pile of clothes Marinette had left out. She winced slightly as she prepared for the lecture her mom was about to berate her with.

“Marinette,” Sabine stated warningly.

“Sorry! Sorry! I was looking for an outfit. I promise to hang everything back up as soon as we’re done.”

“I sure hope so Marinette, because there’s no cleaning fairy who comes and picks up your clothes to wash them for you.”

Smiling sheepishly, she turned to the mirror and carefully placed her hair up into a neat bun as her mom searched the remaining clothes in her wardrobe. Grabbing her favorite mascara, she stuck out her tongue slightly as she concentrated on making her eyes pop.

“Aha!” Sabine’s muffled voice called from inside her wardrobe, before her mom’s head popped out, brandishing a lovely dress. 

Swiveling in her chair, Marinette looked towards the dress. From what she could see it was a very pretty, very light gray with a lace neckline as well as a silk bow wrapped around the waist. “It’s perfect,” Marinette breathed out, reaching for the dress. As she played with the material, she wondered aloud, “What color is it?”

“It’s a very light, pale pink. And would you like to know where I found it?”

“Where?”  
“Underneath a pair of jeans on your top shelf,” her mother scolded lightly.

“Whoops, sorry,” she smiled apologetically, “I don’t even remember wearing this...”

“Probably because it was hidden under three pairs of jeans,” her mother said, before beginning her descent back down the stairs, “Oh and don’t forget to pick up your clothes!” she shouted from the kitchen.   
With an annoyed groan, Marinette began the long process of picking her clothes up and re-hanging them. Once she finished cleaning, she stepped back from her wardrobe with a proud sigh. Rubbing her hands together, she turned back with a menacing glare towards her math homework, “Alright! Now I swear I’m going to solve you in time to go to the movies with Adrien,” sitting down with a forlorn exhale, she barely noticed the world around her as she zoned in on math.

“Done!” she chirped, before noticing the time and letting out a yelp, “No... no no no! It can’t be 7:00 I was supposed to meet everyone at the theatre by 7:30. I’m not even dressed yet!” Yanking her dress off of its folded perch on her chair, she dashed into her bathroom. 

As she flitted about getting ready, Tikki finally woke from her nap, due to the increased amount of crashes and moans of pain coming from the bathroom, and wandered over to the girl. “Oh! Marinette you look so pretty,” Tikki called, hovering by the doorway.

Managing a smile back to the kwami with a mouthful of toothpaste in her mouth, she finished brushing and swiped a hand over her mouth, “Aww! Thank you, Tikki!” she rushed out, before sweeping out of the bathroom and scrambled over towards her jewelry box. She hummed thoughtfully to herself, before pulling out a necklace that said Marinette on it. 

“That’s such a pretty necklace. Where did you get it?” Tikki called as she once again made her way over towards the hyperactive girl. 

“Papa got it for me as a birthday present last year,” she beamed proudly, as she clasped it around her neck, “I think it works well with the dress don’t you?”

“Yes it does,” Tikki giggled, “Also it’s nice to see your hair up in a bun instead of your usual pigtails.”

“Aw thank you again, Tikki,” As she noticed the time once again, she let out another wail, “Oh I’m so late! Alya’s going to kill me!!” Shoving her feet into two white heels she practically tripped her way down the stairs, “Mom! Dad! I’m leaving now! I’ll probably be back home in around three hours!” Tikki rolled her eyes, before zipping into Marinette’s open purse, taking care to make certain she wasn’t spotted.

“Goodbye Marinette! Have a great time at the movies, sweetie! You look great,” her mom waved her goodbye, as she continued her mixing in the kitchen.

“Thanks, mom!” she waved back before grabbing her jean jacket from downstairs. As she sped-walked her way down to the subway, she managed to catch the train just as it was arriving, and she let out a relieved breath. As she settled into her seat, she pulled out her phone and checked the time to see exactly how late she was.  _ 7:25 great... I’m definitely not arriving on time _ , she groaned internally. Shooting off a quick text to Alya, she explained to her best friend exactly why she was going to be late and when she would probably arrive. Swiping away from her text messages, she began playing one of the numerous games she had saved on her phone. About 5 minutes into her journey, and halfway to the movie theatre, she got a text back.

_ Hey gurl! Sorry to hear that you’re going to be late. I’m actually sick and Nino’s decided to stay and take care of me, so we won’t be able to make it. But I heard Adrien’s still going to be there! I’ll let him know you’ll be about 5 mins late! Lataaaaa  _ ✌🏽

Marinette stared down at the text message that lit up her entire phone screen in shock.  _ Oh my god, I’m going to kill you Alya _ , she thought murderously. 

_ Alya nooooo!!! Omg you get yourself over here nowww! How am I meant to deal with Adrien by myself  _ 😫😡 _!!!! _

Gnawing on her lip nervously, Marinette realized she only had one more stop before the movie theatre. Seriously contemplating getting out and bolting, she buried her face in her hands and tapped her foot on the floor nervously as she awaited Alya’s text.

_ Come on Mari, I know you can do this! I really can’t come!! I feel like I’m gonna dieeee!! Don’t leave Adrien waiting  _ 🙌🏽

_ I’m actually going to murder you when I get back _

_ Ilyt and seeeee I knew you could do this  _ 😘😘

_ I’m still gonna murder you later...  _ 😒

Groaning to herself, she powered her phone off, effectively ignoring Alya and making certain she didn’t get any calls during the movie. Getting off the subway, she patted her purse anxiously, reassuring herself that at least Tikki was by her side. Walking up the stairs and heading straight for the movie theatre, she saw Adrien as soon as she opened the doors. Though his back was facing towards her, she was easily able to separate him from the crowd of people around them. Her heart fluttered in her chest as she took in his outfit. Though he was wearing his usual school clothes, Marinette still felt her legs wobble slightly.

_ God, is it even possible for him to not be perfect?  _ Taking in a deep breath, she made her way towards him. Tucking a stray hair behind her ear, she lightly tapped him on the shoulder.

Turning around towards her a smile instantly lit up his face, “Hey Marinette. I was wondering when you were gonna get here.”

“H-hi Adrien,” she softly said, staring up at him from beneath her lashes, “Sorry I’m late. I lost track of time doing the math homework.”

_ There, see! That sounded normal if a bit quiet. She could do this! _

Adrien chuckled, “Yeah some of those problems took me ages to solve.”

Marinette giggled back at him, gaining back some self-confidence, “I know! I swear Ms. Mendeleiev is out to get us!” 

“You’re so right. All those challenge problems,” he fake shivered, “What a nightmare.”

Marinette laughed, scrunching up her nose in mock disgust.

“So did you want to go get food and tickets? It’s about 7:45... should be enough time to make an 8:00 showing,” Adrien’s head ticked towards the ticket and concession stands.

Marinette nodded as they began walking toward the ticket booth and then waited in a short line, “Sure. Did you have anything in mind you wanted to see?”

“Not particularly. What about you?”

“Welllll...” she smiled sheepishly, “I’m a big Marvel fan and I haven’t seen their new movie, Captain Marvel yet. Is it ok if we see that?” 

“Fine with me,” Adrien smiled and shrugged, “Though I didn’t know you watched Marvel movies, Marinette,” he stated teasingly.

“Pfft, what kind of girl doesn’t love a good superhero movie now and then,” she stuck her tongue out at him playfully.

_ Oh my god, help!! What am I doing? Did I really just stick my tongue out at Adrien?? And here I thought this was going so well, _ she moaned to herself panicking slightly.

Luckily her panicked thoughts were completely eradicated as Adrien let out a laugh, before leaning in close enough to whisper in her ear. Her entire face felt hot and her neck erupted into goosebumps as Adrien’s breath tickled her ear, “Got a thing for a certain Parisian superhero, Chat Noir?” leaning back slightly, he wiggled his eyebrows at her. 

Pushing at his shoulders playfully, both to calm the heat she could feel radiating off of him and in response to what he said, she rolled her eyes, “That mangy alley cat. Puh-lease, he’d be lucky to make it into my top 10 favorite superheroes. Iron Man’s where it’s at.”

“Wooow... Placing a fictional superhero above a real one, who’s saved Paris multiple times. You really have great priorities there Marinette,” Adrien snickered at her.

Before Marinette could make a retort back to that statement, she was up next in line. Smiling brightly at the man in front of her, she paid for her ticket and thanked him politely. Heading towards the concession stands, she browsed the candy aisle, waiting for Adrien to get his own ticket.

_ You can do this, Marinette, just keep your cool. You’re doing so well right now, keep it up. _

Suddenly, a voice spoke from behind her, “So what candy were you thinking of getting.”

Yelping in alarm, Marinette whipped around to face Adrien who was staring at her with wide eyes.  _ That was the opposite of cool, Marinette. Come on!  _ She mentally slapped herself. Chuckling nervously, she apologized, “Sorry you uh... startled me.”

“I could see that. Sorry by the way,” Adrien laughed slightly, “You know I’m starting to think I should wear a bell around my neck when I’m near you.” 

Snickering quietly, Marinette’s thoughts were once again brought back to Chat Noir, someone who did exactly as Adrien had just described, “Careful, your Chat Noir obsession is peeking through there just a bit, Adrien. Next thing I know you’re gonna be running around trying to save Paris dressed as him,” Marinette teased.

Adrien’s eyes widened in shock, but before she could discern that particular look he was laughing and shaking his head to himself. The next thing she knew, he was leaning over her shoulder to look at the candies with her. Once again her thoughts blanked out completely, as she was engulfed in the wonderful heat that Adrien emanated. Forcing herself not to snuggle back into the heavenly expanse of his chest and not to take deep breaths of the scent of his cologne, that reminded her of delicious cinnamon and apples, Marinette barely registered the fact that he was speaking to her.

_ Does he have any ounce of an idea of what he does to me? _ Marinette’s heart thumped wildly in her chest. 

“Marinette?” a voice finally registered in her daze of confusion, yet she still felt too spellbound to answer properly.

“Hm?” she managed to hum a reply to the voice behind her. 

“Are you going to pick a candy?” the voice behind her stated teasingly.

Flushing deeply, Marinette quickly scooped up some SweetTarts before leaving her spot in front of Adrien.  _ Her mother was right, she did tend to blush a lot when Adrien was in the picture. Eurgh, he probably thinks she’s a giant dweeb who takes 8 years to pick out a chocolate bar,  _ she thought to herself embarrassedly. Shaking her head to completely ward off any lingering dizziness Adrien’s mere presence brings upon her, she turned to the popcorn stand. 

“Hey, Marinette!” Adrien called, “Would you like to split a large or a medium popcorn with me? I actually ate a bit before I came here and I don’t think I could eat a full one by myself,” he smiled at her sheepishly.

_ Was someone out there reading her wildest fantasies and making them instantly come true? There was no way Adrien just asked her that... Oh my goodness he did and he’s still waiting for you to respond, whilst you’re just standing here gaping at him like a fish out of water. Be cool! Don’t mess this up Marinette!  _ A rush of thoughts flashed in her mind before she smiled dumbly at Adrien, “S-sure! I hungry am not! I-I mean I’m not that hungry either,” she flushed embarrassedly.

_ God, is he even going to still want to split a popcorn with me after that mortifying nightmare. _

“Mmm. Hungry I am not too!” Adrien teasingly mocked her in a bad imitation of Yoda.

Marinette covered her face in her hand, yet was unable to control her giggles, “Oh my god stop! You’re embarrassing both me and yourself.”

Turning to the concession stand worker, who was staring at the both of them amusedly, Adrien ordered a large popcorn with extra butter and a medium Coke whilst placing his Red Vines on top of the counter. After receiving the popcorn, he turned to her with wide eyes, “Oh I’m sorry... I forgot we were splitting. Do you like butter?”

Marinette smiled up at him, “Yeah, it’s alright. I usually put extra butter on anyways,” she shrugged.

_ That boy is just too cute,  _ she thought to herself in a sense of silent wonder.

Placing her SweetTarts on the counter, she turned to the worker with a wide smile, “Could I have a large cup of Fanta as well, please and thank you.” 

Ringing her up, the lady looked at Marinette with a smirk and jerked her head towards Adrien who was approaching their theatre, “You and your boyfriend are cute, you know.”

Marinette blushed for what seemed like the twentieth time that day and handed the lady exact change for her purchase, “Oh we’re not...” Suddenly a voice from down the hall called her name, causing her to whip her head towards Adrien who was waving at her. 

“Come on Marinette, we’re going to be late.”

Flashing a quick grimace to the girl, she grabbed her SweetTarts before speed-walking back to Adrien. “So how much do I owe you for the popcorn?” she asked, peering into her purse.

“Oh don’t worry about it. Consider it my pleasure for forgetting that you may not want extra butter,” Adrien winked at her, before holding the door to the theatre open for her.

Giggling quietly, Marinette slipped in and began looking for their seats. _Does he think this is a date because he’s certainly treating this as one_? She nibbled her lip nervously as she slid into her seat and put her armrest down. _Okay, so I’m going to be alone with Adrien in the dark for a couple of hours._ _Pfft, that’s okay, I can do this_ , she shifted uncomfortably placing her soda in its cupholder. 

“I’ve always liked watching the previews before the movie starts, what about you?” Adrien whispered in her ear as he slid into the seat next to her.

_ God, not if he’s always going to be whispering in my ear like that,  _ she shivered pleasantly. “I’m the exact same. It’s always nice to see the new movies that are coming out,” she softly said, nodding towards him.

“Do you mind if I put the popcorn here?” Adrien smiled at her, gently patting the armrest between the both of them.

“No, not at all,” Marinette said, a small smile taking over her face as he snugly fit the popcorn between the two of them. Almost as soon as he had done this, the movie theatre lights dimmed, making both she and Adrien pout for a second as they realized they had both missed the previews. 

“We’ll just have to come earlier next time,” he again whispered, leaning in close enough for her to feel his breath caress her cheek and smell the scent of his minty toothpaste. 

She smiled dumbly at him, nodding her head, “Good luck trying to do that with me, Ms. Late Disaster,” she whispered quietly, sticking her tongue out at him. 

_ Ok, can we stop with the tongue sticking out thing Marinette... please? _

As the movie lights finished dimming and the Marvel theme began playing, Marinette was suddenly struck by just how aware she was of Adrien. He was barely near her, yet the entire side of her arm that was closest to him had erupted into goosebumps, causing tingles to race up and down her arm. She frowned slightly at her arm, rubbing it up and down slightly to try and get rid of the weird sensation. Yet, if anything, that seemed to make the pleasant ripples worse and the next thing she knew her right leg had also erupted into goosebumps. The movie had started, yet the only thing she could concentrate on was the feeling running through her body. Sneaking a peek at Adrien from beneath her lashes, she realized he was enraptured by the movie, eating some of the popcorn. 

_ I guess he’s not feeling this then _ , Marinette frowned to herself. Attempting to shrug off the weird feeling, Marinette nestled further back into her seat and tried to focus on the movie by reaching for some popcorn of her own. Though she was never able to completely ignore the feeling, she was able to drag her attention to the movie. Laughing softly at one of the scenes with Goose, she reached for some of the popcorn, yet this time she was interrupted by something. Adrien’s hand was underneath hers, and she realized three things simultaneously. One, Adrien’s hand was underneath HERS! Two, the tingling had gotten even worse. And three, her whole body had erupted into a sense of warmth that her mom would call a blush.

“Sorry,” she murmured, yanking her hand away and waited for him to pick up some popcorn before hesitantly reaching for some herself.

“S’okay,” he grinned boyishly at her, before turning back to the movie and eating his handful of popcorn. 

_ God, maybe notice next time when his hand is reaching for the popcorn. _

_ Well, it’s hard enough trying to focus on the movie and whatever the heck is happening to me instead of worrying about what Adrien’s doing. _

She shifted uncomfortably once again, noticing that though the tingles had still not completely gone, they had subsided somewhat. Squeezing her eyes shut tight, she shook off the thoughts racing through her head and once again tried to pay attention to the film. However, all attempts to enjoy the film had completely subsided once she felt Adrien’s foot come to gently rest against her own. Her whole body was aflush now with the strange goosebumps and heat. Her eyes shot over to him, but she was met with only disappointment as he was focused entirely on the movie. Shifting her foot away slightly, the pleasant tingles and heat she was experiencing had now turned to coldness. It was like being drenched into a cold bucket of water after putting on fresh, warm clothes straight from the laundry. She was shivering and began clutching her jean jacket tighter against herself as she rubbed up and down her arms furiously. 

_ What in the world is happening? Was mom wrong about it just being a blush? Am I getting sick?  _ Thoughts furiously raced through her mind, as she shivered uncontrollably. However, almost as suddenly as they had appeared, the cold that had erupted throughout her body was gone, and the pleasant heat was back. Breathing a sigh of relief, she nestled back into the heat, before realizing where it was coming from. Adrien’s foot had nestled once again by hers, whether unconsciously or not. 

_ Is he doing this on purpose? How could he not realize what he’s doing?! _ Again she looked over at the boy who was still as engrossed as ever in the movie.  _ Fine, if he hasn’t noticed what he’s doing, I’m just gonna stay right where I am. _ Trying to focus on the movie in front of her once again, rather than the snuggly warmth that flooded her entire body, Marinette gulped down some of her Fanta. _ I’m gonna have to rewatch this movie later because I have nooo clue what’s going on,  _ Marinette thought in a daze. Just when she thought she’d snapped back into the actual plot of the film, Adrien would shift closer or let out a breathy chuckle, and suddenly all she could focus on was him. 

Unexpectedly, the lights came back on and Marinette was jarred back into reality. The electricity that just moments ago had overwhelmed her was instantly gone, and though she didn’t feel the intense cold as she had done previously, she felt bereft and almost lonely.

Frowning at the thought, Marinette realized Adrien was stretching and had begun to stand up, “That was a great movie, huh Marinette?”

Blinking owlishly up at the boy, still in a daze from only moments ago, merely nodded, murmuring, “Yeah. Yeah.” 

“You took the Subway, right? I can walk you back home.” 

As Adrien held out a hand for her, Marinette felt her heart flutter once again. Smiling shyly up at him, she took it, before turning around and grabbed her empty soda can and the box of SweeTarts she had completely forgotten about. “Thank you,” she turned back to him, waiting for Adrien to begin heading out before brushing off any crumbs left on her person. 

As they walked out of the theatre, and out into the cool, Parisian night, Marinette realized he was discussing the movie with her. However, the things he was describing made almost no sense to her.  _ Yep, definitely must have missed those parts _ , she chuckled silently at herself.

“So, anyway, Marinette who was your favorite character?” 

_ Phew, at least this was a question she could answer _ . 

“The cat, Goose. Definitely Goose,” she grinned brightly, nodding decisively, “What about you?”

“Ooh! Good choice, good choice. For me though, it’s gotta be Brie Larson. Yep, Captain Marvel herself.”

“Oh, she’s definitely my second favorite character. She was absolutely amazing in this film,” she smiled up at him.

As they reached the Subway, Adrien reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, and began to text someone.  
“Who are you texting?” Marinette asked, hoping she didn’t sound too nosy.

“Just my bodyguard. Letting him know the movie’s over and to meet me at your house in about 15 minutes.”

“I’m sorry, I completely forgot about him! He won’t be too mad, right? Cause I can always make it home by myself,” Marinette bit her lip nervously. 

“Nah, as long as I’m home in an hour and my pretty model face stays intact, we should be fine,” wagging a finger in her face, Adrien leaned in, “So don’t go breaking my pretty model face, alright Marinette?”

She laughed as the train arrived, “No promises,” she sang out before stepping inside the warm vehicle. 

Sitting down on one of the open seats, she briefly noticed Adrien sit next to her, as she pulled out her phone and powered it back on. As she did so, she realized she had about a million texts from Alya. 

_ Soooo did you goooo? _

_ Have you found Adrien yet?? _

_ Guuuurlllll I need those deetssssss. Text me back plz  _ 😄🥺

_ Marinette? _

_ You better be getting popcorn or something or istg  _ 🤬🤬🤬 

_ Ok you better be in the movie rn and not just ignoring my texts or ima kill you myself  _ 😒🔪

Chuckling quietly to herself, Marinette’s fingers flew over her keyboard as she typed out her response to Alya.

_ I did it  _ 😍😍 _!! The movie was great, btw!! Hope you “feel better”!! _

“Who are  _ you _ texting?” Adrien questioned.

“Just Alya,” she replied, quickly sending off the text, and powered her phone off before Adrien could see anything too incriminating. Slipping her phone into her jacket pocket, she turned to face him, “I was telling her I hope she feels better.”

Adrien nodded, “Yeah, I heard from Nino that she was sick and he was staying behind to take care of her, which is why they weren’t here.”

Marinette grinned sheepishly at him.  _ If he only knew Alya as well as I did. _ Checking what stop they were on, Marinette let out a gasp, “Oh shoot, this is my stop!” She panicked, grabbing onto Adrien’s hand, she yanked the both of them outside the train just before the doors closed. 

“Sorry about that,” Marinette laughed, before realizing she was still holding onto Adrien’s hand. Jerking it away quickly, Marinette blushed, “Sorry,” she muttered again.

_ Good, that’s good, Marinette. Just keep on apologizing. Sorry, sorry, sorry. Soon it’ll lose all meaning. _

Adrien’s hand came up to rub the back of his neck, “That’s alright, Marinette. You’re really fast, you know?”

“Gotta go fast,” she giggled out in a funny voice, which caused Adrien to laugh, and had her practically swooning once again. As they walked up the stairs and began nearing her house, Marinette began to walk more slowly. _ I don’t want this night to end _ , she glanced over at Adrien longingly. 

“Oh, by the way, Marinette, I forgot to tell you before, you looked really pretty tonight. I barely had the time to come home and change out of my fencing clothes,” Adrien chuckled.

_ Ok, he must be trying to kill me,  _ Marinette blushed. She smiled shyly up at him and managed to stutter a quiet, “T-Thank you!”

_ He thinks I’m pretty! He thinks I’m pretty!! If I suddenly pass out right now on this road, will I get a concussion? Allll of that scrambling around was sooo worth it!!! _

As they finally made it to the outside of the bakery, Marinette took in a deep breath and turned to Adrien, “I had a really great time tonight, Adrien. Thanks for joining me.”

Adrien’s eyes lit up as he grinned boyishly down at her, “Me too, Marinette. I’m really glad my dad allowed me to come tonight.”

_ Come on, Marinette, you can do this! Alya did it and look how well it turned out for her and Nino. Just ask him out and imagine the world of color you’ll experience after he says yes! _

High on memories of hand brushes, foot touches, compliments, and handholds, Marinette took in another deep breath. “Adrien, I have something I need to tell you,” she stated seriously and a touch nervously.

Frowning at the sudden change in mood, Adrien nodded, “Go ahead, Marinette.”

Tapping her two index fingers together anxiously, she looked up at him from beneath her lashes, “Well Adrien... Umm... T-the thing is... I um... I,” taking in another gulp of air, Marinette continued the rest of her words in somewhat of a rush, to see if that would get rid of her stuttering, “I’ve liked you for a really long time now, and I’ve been wondering... Um... Would you like to go out with me, sometime?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you enjoy this chapter? I wonder what was going on with Marinette... Oh well, guess we'll find out later ;). Prepare yourselves for the next chapter as it hurt me to write D:. I prefer the fluuuuufffffff over the angst.


	3. Rejections

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Sorry I've been gone sooo long! I've had a lot of hw to do with finals coming up Dx. Hopefully, updates should be more frequent as it's almost summer :D :D!! I hope you guys like chapter 3! Just a warning before you read this chapter, it's going to get worse before it gets better ):. Lemme know what you think! I don't know how I feel about the akuma attack but I tried xP.

Adrien’s eyes widened as he stared at her in shock. Then, a split second later, his face fell, and Marinette felt her heart fall along with it.

_ No, please no... Adrien don’t do this to me. _

“I... I’m sorry, Marinette, but I like someone else.”

Just barely managing to produce a wobbly smile, Marinette stumbled out, “T-that’s ok.”

“I hope we can still be friends though,” Adrien stated eagerly. 

Marinette could feel her heart breaking with the use of that word.  _ There’s that word again... Friends. Just friends.  _ She swallowed a lump in her throat as she prayed that the tears wouldn’t come spilling out in front of him. Biting down hard on her lip, she attempted to console him, “O-Of course.”  _ I need to get out of here,  _ she screamed silently at herself. She once again attempted a smile at the concerned boy, “Well... um... I had better go then. Otherwise my parents might get mad. It is kinda late,” she turned to leave but felt a hand on her arm stopping her path.

“Are you sure you’re alright, Marinette?” Adrien’s brow was furrowed into an adorable pout.

_ No, you idiot, but I don’t want to start bawling in front of you _ , She growled at him angrily in her head. She swiped a hand over her eyes before turning back to him and nodded. Luckily, she spotted The Gorilla over Adrien’s shoulder, and she jerked her head over to the car that was waiting for him, “You’d um... better go. Your ride’s here.”

Adrien held onto her arm a little while longer, searching her face for something, she didn’t know what, until a honk startled the both of them. He finally let go, albeit reluctantly, “I’ll see you at school tomorrow, right, Marinette?” Adrien said whilst backing towards his car slowly. 

“Yeah,” she managed to croak out, before quickly opening the bakery door and slamming it shut. She watched as Adrien stared at the bakery for another few minutes until he finally sighed and slid into the backseat of his car. It was only until after he finally drove away that Marinette allowed herself to slide down the door, dropping her head into her hands. Letting out a few more quiet sobs, she finally managed to lift her head up with a shaky intake of breath. Standing up on wobbly legs, she locked the bakery door and pulled her heels off of her feet. She padded down the hallway to the stairs quietly, so as not to wake her sleeping parents. 

“Marinette, are you alright?” Tikki phased through her purse, staring at the blank-faced girl. Ignoring the small kwami, Marinette continued to climb the stairs up to her bedroom. “M-Marinette?” Tikki questioned, following along after her. It was only until after Marinette firmly shut the trapdoor to her bedroom, that she finally allowed herself to break down. She crumbled none so gently to the floor, as she curled in on herself sobbing loudly.

“Hey... hey, listen to me it’s going to be alright,” Tikki attempted to comfort the weeping girl.

“No! No, it’s not going to be alright, Tikki!” Marinette snapped angrily, her head popping up as tears billowed down her face, “You don’t understand! How am I ever going to look Adrien in the eyes again after I just completely humiliated myself?”

“You heard him. He still wants to be your friend, Marinette,” Tikki nuzzled the girl’s cheek reassuringly. 

“Oh, yes. ‘Friends’! Always friends... never anything more,” Marinette glared at her floor bitterly, “God, would it have killed him to just say yes. Only to see! If nothing happened I would have happily let him go! How can he  _ know _ I’m not his soulmate.” The anger subsided as quickly as it had come as Marinette let out another loud wail, “Oh who am I kidding!? I was never going to be Adrien’s soulmate. Whoever he likes is probably so much more amazing then I could ever hope to be.”

“Marinette... Marinette!” Tikki shouted to be heard over Marinette’s loud sobs, “You need to stay calm! You can’t get akumatized! You know this!”

Marinette’s hands flung up into the air as she angrily stood up, “Ok Tikki! You tell me how I’m supposed to find the bright side in all of this!! How am I meant to be ok with the fact that Adrien just took my heart and smashed it to pieces!” 

“I know it’s hard Marinette, but you’re Paris’ hero. If you get akumatized think of what Hawk Moth can do!” 

Marinette pinched the bridge of her nose, before taking in a deep breath, “You’re right, Tikki. I’m sorry,” she attempted to smile, though it came out as more of a grimace. 

“Now there’s the Marinette I know and love,” Tikki smiled gently at her.

Gulping in another deep breath, Marinette managed to stop her soft cries. Managing a brighter smile, she walked to her closet and pulled out a pair of pajamas, “I’m going to attempt to get some sleep tonight and hope that everything will feel better in the morning,” she sighed as she slipped on her pajamas and kissed Tikki’s forehead gently.

“I know it seems like the end of the world right now Marinette, but everything will heal in time. The world has a way of working itself out,” Tikki grinned softly.

“Thank you,” Marinette whispered as she unclasped her necklace and removed her bun messily. Climbing up the ladder into her bed, Marinette flopped face-first onto it. Groaning loudly into her pillow, she felt Tikki curl up on her own small cushion that Marinette set up for her every night.

 “Everything’s going to be alright, Marinette,” Tikki whispered gently.

Marinette shut her eyes tightly against the wave of tears she could feel building up beneath her eyelids. She snuggled deeper into her covers as a few drops managed to leak out and drip onto her pillow. Silent sobs shook her shoulders until she thankfully and finally fell into a deep sleep. Though her sleep most often consisted of beautiful visions of her and Adrien together, tonight she dreamed of nothing. 

When Marinette’s eyes fluttered open the next morning, she did as she did every day, check for colors. Scanning the walls of her room for even the tiniest speck of a different shade of black, she was struck by an encompassing sense of loneliness. _ That’s odd _ , she frowned to herself,  _ I don’t usually feel this bad when I look for colors and can’t find anything _ . Suddenly, memories of the previous day’s activities with Adrien flooded her mind and it was all she could do not to fling the covers back over her head and cry. Sighing sadly, she forced herself up out of bed and began going through her daily motions. Attempting to shake off the overwhelming misery that urged her to get back into bed, she pulled her hair into its usual pigtails. As she did so, she noticed Tikki staring at her with a pitying expression. Managing a weak smile at the kwami, she attempted to console her, “It’s alright, Tikki. I promise not to get akumatized anytime soon.”

Tikki’s lips quirked up into a smile before whizzing over to the girl, nuzzling her cheek, “I know you will, Marinette. If anyone can do it, it’s you!” 

Patting Tikki gently, Marinette’s face bloomed into a real smile, before she finally caught sight of her alarm clock, “Oh shoot! I am so so late once again,” she groaned.

Though usually seeing the time sparked Marinette into a panicked frenzy, she was unable to muster up the energy today. _For the first time in my life I really don’t want to see Adrien Agreste_ , she thought to herself pityingly. She felt as though gravity was weighing down heavily upon her shoulders, causing everything in her to move slower then she would have liked. Trudging down the stairs and saying goodbye to her parents felt like the end of the world. Walking along the usual street to get to her school Marinette could barely keep her eyes open long enough to see where she was going. Every person she bumped into caused her to wince in pain, yet she was still able to murmur an apology to them as she slowly crept closer to the school. She took a deep breath once she arrived in the courtyard and approached the front door. She had missed most of first period, and as her teacher handed out the homework, Marinette let out a quiet sigh as well as a near-silent apology.

“Marinette I know you can do better than this,”

“Sorry again Ms. Bustier,” she murmured before attempting to catch up on the part of class that she had missed.

Adrien kept sending worried glances back at her but she deftly avoided eye contact by keeping her nose burrowed deep within her notes. Occasionally glancing up to see the words written on the chalkboard, she tuned out the world around her. However, she was startled out of this reverie by the sound of a note sliding over to her. She looked over at her best friend whose brow was furrowed in concern before staring down at the note pointedly. Opening the note, Marinette felt a rush of relief flood through her chest, trusting the fact that her best friend would take care of her.

_ Are you alright? I thought movie night went well? _

Shaking her head at Alya, Marinette quickly scribbled down a reply before turning back to her lecture.

_ No... I’ll tell you after school. It’s a long story... _

Alya grumbled angrily, before shooting another concerned look over at the despondent girl. As soon as the bell rang, Marinette practically yanked Alya up out of her seat and raced the both of them outside. 

“Woah woah woah! Marinette slow down! What in the world is wrong?!” 

Panting, Marinette came to a stop once they were a safe distance away from the school, and Adrien, “I didn’t want to see Adrien,” she murmured, kicking at a pebble. 

Alya frowned at her, “Why? Last night when you texted me everything seemed completely fine. Did you not actually go?”

“I did Alya... oh but I wish I hadn’t,” Marinette’s eyes welled up with tears before flinging herself into her best friend’s arms.

“Marinette! Oh my god, are you alright? What’s wrong?!”

“I... I did what you did with Nino and I asked Adrien out,” she hiccupped through broken sobs.

“He didn’t,” Alya breathed out, gently patting her best friend’s back.

Nodding Marinette let out a few more quiet cries before pulling back slightly, “Oh but he did Alya! God, I must have been an idiot! Of course he likes someone else!” 

“No no no! Marinette you are the opposite of an idiot!” Alya tugged her back into a bone-crushing hug, “Adrien is just blind and stupid,” she declared, rocking the girl gently back and forth.

Marinette sunk into her best friend’s arms, sniffling quietly. Leave it to Alya to know how to make her feel better instantly, “C-can you come over for a bit?” she questioned quietly.

“Of course I can!” Alya squeezed her tighter, “I’m going to make you forget all about that dumb model!” 

“I don’t think that’s possible,” Marinette chuckled dryly, “But could you maybe let me go? I think you’re destroying my insides.”

“Sorry,” Alya smiled sheepishly, loosening her grip on the girl.

“I have the best friend ever,” Marinette beamed at Alya happily.

“Damn straight!” Alya barked, giggling back at her best friend. However, a voice from behind them startled both girls, making Marinette lose all previous happiness and caused her face to pale quite quickly.

“Hey Alya. Hey Marinette,” Adrien started out hesitantly, “Are you guys looking forward to this weekend?”

Letting out a quiet peep, she stared at Alya in horror.  _ Help _ , she pleaded to her friend silently. Alya’s face pinched in anger before she quickly stepped in front of Marinette, blocking the terrified girl from Adrien’s view. “Yep,” she stated tightly, all but glaring at the poor boy. 

Marinette peeked over Alya’s shoulder, sneaking a quick glance over at Adrien’s face. He looked shocked and confused and for a minute Marinette felt guilty.  _ You have nothing to feel guilty about _ , she thought to herself harshly. Tugging on Alya’s arm, she whispered in her ear, “Can we just go?” 

Nodding her head stiffly, Alya did not relinquish her stare-down with Adrien. Finally, when he looked down and away from her did Alya turn and begin marching away, “Come on Marinette, it’s time to go.”

Instantly turning to follow after the determined girl, Marinette was stopped from her path by a hand latching onto her wrist. She quickly glared down at her arm, willing the tingles to stop shooting up it from his contact with her wrist.  _ Adrien you really need to stop doing this _ , Marinette bemoaned to herself silently. Staring down at the ground, she let him turn her around to face him. 

“A-are you alright, Marinette?” Adrien asked, rubbing the back of his neck anxiously. 

_ What do you have to be nervous about? I’m the one who got rejected. _ Marinette pursed her lips before kicking another pebble, “Y-yeah, I’m fine,” she muttered.

“Do you hate me?”

She scoffed lightly, finally looking up at the boy in front of her, “No, Adrien. I don’t hate you,” she said, her lips lifting into a slight smirk.  _ I could never hate you _ , she added in her head silently. 

He sighed, relieved and let go of her wrist, allowing Marinette to turn and follow after her best friend. Tightening her lips, however, she turned back to Adrien. Hesitating quietly, she stated quietly, “Listen, Adrien... I, um, I think I need some time.”

“Time for what?” he frowned slightly.

“Time away from you,” Marinette nibbled on her lip nervously. He looked so shocked and so much like a kicked puppy, that Marinette hastened to clarify herself, “We’re still gonna be friends don’t worry! It’s just that, well um... I’m not gonna lie to you, Adrien, I’ve been in love with you for a  _ really _ long time,” she chuckled wryly, before taking in a shaky breath, “And hearing you say you didn’t love me back hurt. It hurt a lot actually, especially because the only person I ever thought of sharing colors with was you.”

“Marinette, I--” Adrien started before Marinette cut him off with a gentle shush. 

“And I’m really sorry but right now looking at you and talking to you still makes my heart hurt,” Adrien’s face dropped as Marinette continued to pour out her feelings to him, “I’m not saying we can never be friends again! I just... I need some time to think. Adrien, I never looked at you as just a friend, I always looked at you as something more. So do you think it’s possible for you to give me that?” she finished her speech by looking up at him from beneath her lashes, tapping her two index fingers together. 

Adrien merely opened and closed his mouth together a few times before nodding silently at her. “Thank you,” Marinette whispered as she leaned in and kissed his cheek softly. As she turned and ran back to Alya, she never noticed the small black kwami pop out of Adrien’s shirt pocket. 

“Well nice going kid. You really screwed that one up,” Plagg stated simply, before ducking back into his spot in Adrien’s shirt.

“Shut up,” Adrien muttered down at him, before caressing his cheek and staring after Marinette with a forlorn expression. He sighed, before going back to the front of the school, where his car was waiting to pick him up.

When Marinette finally caught up to Alya, she noticed the girl staring at her with an annoyed expression, tapping her foot impatiently on the ground, “And just where have you been?”  
“Talking with Adrien,” she blushed.

“That boy is no good for you,” Alya stated simply, before grabbing onto her arm and began stomping towards Marinette’s house once again, “He’s blind and an idiot. We are going to find you a new man! Just you wait! One who can see exactly how amazing you are!”

She chuckled weakly, “Alya come on... Don’t you think it’s a little too soon for that?”

“Nope,” Alya said determinedly, whilst walking through the front doors of the bakery, “Hello Madame and Monsieur Dupain-Cheng,” she smiled brightly at them. 

Marinette managed to get in a brief wave and a smile at her parents before she was yanked upstairs by her best friend. Once they finally reached her bedroom, Alya let go of her grip on Marinette’s wrist. 

“Did you really need to grab that ha-- Wait! What are you doing?” she shouted out before scrambling over towards Alya who was tearing down her Adrien posters left and right. 

“Taking out the trash,” she stated simply, before casually dumping all of the posters into the garbage. 

Falling down next to the canister, Marinette thrust her arms into the can, grabbing up all of his pictures and clutched them tightly to her chest, “Why?” she shouted out, watching as Alya logged onto her computer and changed the desktop background from Adrien back to the default position.

“I already told you why. That boy is an idiot and now I’m taking out the trash,” brushing her hands off, Alya swiveled in Marinette’s chair, “Now where do you keep all of Adrien’s future birthday presents?”

Marinette scurried up and over to her best friend, dropping all of her posters into a massive heap on the floor, “No! Alya, no! You can’t!!” she wailed as Alya opened up the chest next to her chaise, “I spent so long on all of those!!”

“Well Adrien doesn’t deserve them,” she responded before ripping up the notes Marinette wrote for the model, “Is there anyone else you can give these to or are they all specifically designed for Adrien?”

“I mean I guess I could give them to someone else, but most of them are  _ super _ important!” Marinette reached in, pulling out a random gift from the pile, “Like this hat! I made it for Adrien’s birthday in two years to match the scarf I created for him!” 

Alya easily plucked the gift from her hands before deftly throwing it into the trash can, “Alright next.”

Marinette blinked at her before turning to the trash can that was still in the center of the room, “Nice shot.”

“Thanks! I’ve been practicing my aim,” Alya beamed proudly.

Marinette sighed sadly, before walking over to the trash can and plopping down on the floor beside it.

“Marinette?” Alya called concernedly. Marinette shook her head at her best friend before pulling out the gift and placed it delicately onto her lap. “Are you alright?” Alya walked over to her, sitting down next to the suddenly quiet girl. 

“I don’t know how to do this Alya,” Marinette said softly, turning to her with eyes filled with tears, “I’ve loved Adrien for so long. How am I meant to just get over him?” 

Alya reached over, enveloping the girl into a warm hug, “I know it seems hard right now, Marinette, but it’ll get better, I promise! If he can’t see your worth he doesn’t deserve you. He doesn’t deserve any of this,” the reporter said whilst gesturing to all the gifts and posters strewn across the floor.

“I know he doesn’t love me like I love him, Alya,” she said whilst shaking her head, “But what am I gonna do? How in the world am I gonna get over him? I mean... I never even imagined that he wasn’t the one for me,” Marinette sniffled, leaning back to look at Alya directly.

Her best friend was staring at her sympathetically before she began to pat her back gently, “Tell you what, I’ll let you keep five presents for Adrien’s closest birthdays and you can even keep one poster.”

Marinette smiled brightly before diving back into her friend’s waiting arms, “Thank you, Alya!” As the two girls embraced, neither of them heard the flapping of butterfly wings as the akuma turned away from Marinette and phased through the walls and began heading outside. 

The two best friends then began the long process of ridding Marinette’s room of Adrien paraphernalia. As they tore down posters and threw away presents, they were startled by the screams that rattled the Parisian streets. Alya raced over towards the window before she whipped out her phone and snapped a few quick photos, “It’s an akuma! I’ve got to get this on the Ladyblog!” Alya shouted excitedly before shoving her arms through her backpack straps, “Are you going to be alright, Marinette?”

“Yeah, yeah! I’ll be fine!” she said distractedly, whilst staring out the window worriedly. 

“Great! I’ll just be going then,” Alya said as she threw open the trapdoor.

“Hey Alya! Be careful,” Marinette called after the girl who was thudding her way down the stairs.

“You know it girl!” Alya shouted up to her, before racing down the next set of stairs.

Shutting the trap door quickly, Marinette called out to her kwami who quickly flitted over to her face.

“Feeling better?” Tikki smiled.

“Yeah, Alya knows exactly how to cheer me up,” Marinette grinned before calling on her transformation, “It’s time to transform! Tikki! Spots on!” As the rush of energy flowed through her, she let out an excited yell.

Once fully transformed, Ladybug shot up through the trapdoor above her bed and headed out onto her balcony. Throwing her yo-yo across the street she swung from rooftop to rooftop, before finally spotting the akuma. 

Squinting her eyes downwards, she could see a girl in a black and white striped dress. Her black hair was threaded with ribbons that weaved through the girl’s curls. Ladybug’s eyes honed in on the girl’s ring though, as the akuma slowly continued along her path, knocking down each telephone pole with a great beam of gray electricity that shot out from within it.

Perching delicately on a nearby rooftop she opened up her compact and began dialing Chat’s number.

“Looking for me?” a teasing voice called from just over her shoulder. 

Smirking she turned her head to look at Chat Noir, “Ohh always,” she teased him. Bringing her attention back to the akuma at hand, she pointed at the girl destroying telephone poles left and right with the small black ring, “Any info on the akuma?”

Chat pouted at her for a second, before focusing his attention on where Ladybug was pointing, “Sorry M’lady but I got here just after you did. I know as much as you do, Bugaboo.”

Rolling her eyes at his rhyme, Ladybug threw her yo-yo over to wrap around a tree, “See you in the field then, Chaton,” she saluted him, before landing directly in front of the akuma.

“Ladybug!” the girl screeched, before thrusting the ring at her, emitting an electric pulse that knocked the superheroine backward. “I’m Miss Mocker and I’m ridding the world of all social media! Ohh it’s gonna be soo good to wipe out the main star of the Ladyblog,” she smirked evilly at her, before creating another electrical pulse.

Luckily, Chat Noir pole-vaulted in at just the right moment, knocking the pulse off to the side with his baton, “Tsk tsk, who’s gonna see me and my beautiful lady without that absolutely pawsome blog,”

Smiling thankfully at her partner, Ladybug rushed in with her yo-yo, swinging it about in a wide-arching circle whilst standing directly in front of Chat Noir, “I think the akuma’s in her ring,” she called out, as Miss Mocker continued to angrily throw larger and larger blasts of electricity.

He nodded, extending his baton slightly with a click before looking at her, “Any ideas?”

“Hmm, no... A lucky charm sounds pretty good right about now, but I need to make certain I don’t get hit by her blasts,”

“Leave it to me, Bugaboo,” Chat winked, before rushing in front of her and began batting aside the pulses with a twirl of his staff.

“Lucky charm!” Ladybug shouted, throwing her compact up into the air. “Rubber gloves... What can I?” Glancing around she took a few seconds to think before putting the gloves over her suit-covered hands, “Chat! I need you to use your Cataclysm on that telephone pole!” she shouted, racing over to protect him from the beams of electricity Miss Mocker furiously began sending towards him.

“Your wish is my command!” Chat purred, before calling on his own destructive power, “Cataclysm!” As he touched the pole it fell to the ground near Miss Mocker, startling her as it began spurting up its own electric shocks. 

Ladybug smirked, rushing towards the pole and backflipped, grabbing onto the pole with her rubber gloves, using her momentum to kick the akuma straight in the chest. Letting out a wounded yelp, Miss Mocker fell back, landing directly onto her back knocking the wind right out of her. Jumping up quickly, Ladybug swooped in and plucked the ring directly off the girl’s finger. Breaking it in half, she watched as the purple butterfly began to fly away, “No more evil-doing for you, little akuma. Time to de-evilize!” She threw her compact and caught the butterfly, smiling in satisfaction at another job well done, “Gotcha! Bye-bye, little butterfly!” Once the akuma was fully purified and began flying away, Ladybug threw her rubber gloves into the air shouting out, “Miraculous Ladybug!” As per usual, watching the city get restored back to its usual state left Ladybug with an elated feeling she hadn’t felt since she was with Adrien.

“Pound it!” Chat Noir smiled at her, holding out his fist for their usual fist bump.

“Pound it!” Ladybug gave him a short nod, beaming at him as their fists connected. However, her happy feeling evaporated as she heard quiet cries coming from the girl who was still lying on the ground. Approaching her, she placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, “Are you alright?”

“No,” the girl sniffled, “I’m still going to get teased at school.”

“What happened?”

“People found my private account and now they won’t stop making fun of me for it,”

Ladybug winced slightly.  _ This poor girl, I know exactly what it feels like to have your whole class turn against you _ , she thought to herself, recalling her own battles with Lila and Chloe. She held out a hand to help the sniveling girl up, smiling brightly at her. As she patted her shoulder, Ladybug attempted to console her, “What’s your name? If you’d like I could make a post telling people to stop bullying you.”

“You’d really do that for me?” the girl stared up at the superheroine with a look of wonder and awe.

“Of course! No one should be picked on, especially when they’re only utilizing their creativity!” 

“My name’s Sienna Carter,” she bit her lip, nervously.

“I’m proud of you, Sienna,” Ladybug gave a short nod, “It’s hard dealing with bullies, but you should never let them get to you, ok?” 

Sienna beamed up at her, nodding, “Thank you so much, Ladybug! I promise to stand up for myself from now on!”

As the girl raced off, the superheroine heard a gentle beep coming from her earring. Turning around to Chat, who was looking at her with a look of pride and something else that was indescribable, she waved a quick goodbye, “Wait! M’lady, I need to ask you a quick question!”

“Alright, Chaton,” she nodded, “Keep it short though as I’m about to detransform.”

“Has anyone ever told you how meowvelous you are?” he stared after her eagerly.

Rolling her eyes at him, she shook her head and chuckled slightly, “That’s what you’re risking our secret identities for?” 

Chat chuckled along with her as well, “No, but I just had to tell you that myself. My big question was are we still on for patrol later tonight?”

Ladybug let out a full laugh, “Silly kitty, but yes to both,” she winked at him before swinging away on her yo-yo.

“How can she be so purrfect,” Chat breathed after her before vaulting himself back to his own house and detransformed. 

As Ladybug landed on her balcony she called off her transformation, quickly pulling a cookie out of her purse and handed it to the exhausted kwami, “Thank you, Marinette,” Tikki smiled tiredly, before nibbling into the treat, “You did really well today,” she said in between bites.

“Thank you, Tikki,” Marinette smiled at the adorable bug, before stretching her tired limbs and opened the trapdoor for the both of them to retreat into the comfort of her room. Falling face-first onto her bed, she groaned into her pillow, “Mrmfghm,”

“What was that, Marinette? I didn’t quite understand you there?” Tikki giggled at the charming girl.

Marinette turned her head to the side so that her kwami could actually understand her this time. Blowing a few strands of hair out of her face, she repeated what she said before, “I said that I still have tons of homework to do  _ and _ I have to go on patrol with Chat.”

“I thought you usually enjoyed going on patrol?” Tikki frowned.

“Oh, of course I do! I absolutely love it! It’s just that right now all I wanna do is curl up under my covers and sleep for all eternity,” 

Tikki zoomed over to Marinette, nuzzling the girl’s cheek, “You can do this, Marinette! You have no idea how proud I am of you!”

“Oh Tikki, you are the greatest personal cheerleader a girl could ever ask for! You have absolutely no idea just how much I love you,” Marinette beamed as she pushed herself up off her bed and trudged down the ladder. Staring blankly down at her English rubric for a few minutes, she suddenly slapped a hand to her forehead, “Ahh shoot, I almost forgot!” whipping out her phone she pulled up Ladybug’s official Twitter account. Once the webpage finished loading, she tweeted about the importance of helping and influencing your classmates instead of hindering them. Linking Sienna’s account in her tweet she wrote about the dangers of cyberbullying. Within seconds, hundreds of notifications lit up her phone as people from all over the world liked and retweeted her words of wisdom. Pretty soon a new hashtag, #WhatWouldLadybugDo was spread across Twitter, as people began writing in about their own experiences with bullying. 

“You’re amazing, Marinette! Look at what you can do with just 280 characters,” Tikki giggled.

Marinette blushed before beaming proudly, “Only doing what Ladybug would do,” she puffed out her chest proudly.

“Well now I think a certain superheroine needs to do their homework,” Tikki giggled before ducking back into Marinette’s purse to take a quick nap.

“Ugh! I hate that you’re right... Ladybug would totally do that,” she glared down at her purse. Flopping into her computer chair she finally began writing the English essay she had been putting off since the beginning of the week. As the seconds ticked by and the words flooded through her fingertips and onto her screen, she was jerked from the final stages of her rough draft by a blaring alarm. Marinette stood up, stretching and yawning slightly, “Alright as soon as I get back from patrol I’m diving into that bed and never waking up again.”

Tikki yawned too, rubbing her big bug eyes as her head peeked up from the confines of Marinette’s purse, “Are you ready Marinette?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” the girl smiled before calling on her transformation once again, “Tikki, spots on!” The magic flooded through her and she felt the exhaustion of before get washed away with a wave of pure power. Racing up the trapdoor to her balcony, she began swinging her way across Paris to meet her partner at their usual spot on top of the Eiffel Tower. Landing on the historic landmark, she was unable to keep the smile off her face as she gazed out across the beautiful city, “I’ll never get over this,” she breathed out, watching as lights twinkled and flickered as far as the eye could see.

“What will you never get over, M’lady? And why is it my purreath-takingly good looks,” a voice purred from behind her.

Ladybug smirked, placing a hand over her heart before pretending to swoon, “Oh yes, Chaton. How could I ever get over your rugged looks and your terrible excuse for a sense of humor?”

Chat laughed, the noise rumbling from deep within his chest, before winking at her, “Laugh all you want, you know you love my puns more than anyone.”

“If it helps you sleep at night then go ahead and keep telling yourself that,” Ladybug shrugged, eyes sparkling at him mischievously. Bumping her shoulder with his playfully, she wrapped her yo-yo around the nearest roof, “Race ya to the Louvre!”

Jumping down she began swinging her way across, hopping from rooftop to rooftop, laughing warmly as Chat shouted after her, “Hey! You cheated!” Losing herself to the rush of the wind billowing around her, she pushed herself to run faster and faster. She could feel the lingering sadness and loneliness from Adrien’s rejection float away with every leap she took. 

Landing on the rooftop of the art museum, Ladybug waited for her partner to arrive with an impatient tap of her foot. A few seconds later and a panting black cat landed in a heap next to her. “I’ve been waiting fifty years for you,” she croaked out in an elderly woman’s voice.

“You... cheated...” Chat wheezed out. 

“Whatever do you mean?” she giggled mischievously, “Ladybug would  _ never _ cheat,” she turned her head to the side crossing her arms in mock-offense.

A wicked gleam entered her partner’s eyes as he stalked towards her slowly, “Well you know what happens to cheaters don’t you?”

“No...” Ladybug took a step backwards, watching him approach her warily, “What happens?”

“They get... tickled!” he pounced, attempting to catch her as Ladybug squealed and managed to dart away just in time. 

“NO! Minou don’t you dare!” she screeched, laughing as though his long claws were already brushing against her sides.

“You do the time, you have to pay the crime!” he snickered.

“Stop it Chat! I will hit you! I’m not joking!” she swatted backwards at him.

Suddenly a force hit her from behind, sending her to the ground with a whoosh of released air. Her eyes widened as she stared up at Chat’s face, his grin reminding her of a cat who ate a canary. He leaned in close to her face, his nose practically brushing against hers. Uncontrollably, her eyes darted from his eyes down to his lips before flicking back up to meet his mischievous stare once again.

_ Is he going to kiss me?  _ She thought, before licking her own lips nervously.

_ Gahh, no that’s enough! I do not want that mangy cat's lips anywhere  _ near _ my own. _

Pushing up against his chest, Ladybug chuckled, “Alright, that’s enough Tom-foolery for one night,”

“Not until you purromise me something.”

“What?” she rolled her eyes.

“You’ll never cheat again.”

Ladybug laughed, “Silly kitty,” shaking her head at him she continued, “But if it’ll make you feel better, fine, I promise to never cheat again.”

Chat beamed at her, holding a hand out to help her up. She smirked at him as she threw her yo-yo around the nearest rooftop, “I’d still be able to beat you without cheating.”

“Ah-hah!” he shouted, pointing an accusing finger at her, “So you admit to cheating?”

“Never!” she stuck her tongue out at him.

As she moved to jump off the building and head back home to get a long night’s rest, she was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. Turning around, she raised a pointed eyebrow at her partner who was staring at her with an unreadable expression. Suddenly, a rose was thrust into her face and her eyes widened in shock as Chat’s expression turned to one of earnestness. “Can I tell you just one more thing, LB?”

“Yes?” she asked hesitatingly, hoping he wasn’t about to ask her what she thought he was gonna ask her.

He took in a deep breath before starting his speech, “I’ve been in love with you ever since we defeated Stoneheart together, and every day after that I’ve fallen for you more and more. I love how confident you are and I love how you always have the right idea at the right time. So I need to ask you... would you ever go out with a mangy Tom cat like me?”

Her mouth dropped open as she heard him pour out his heart to her. As she opened her mouth to say something, Chat’s face morphed into Adrien’s own as he rejected her last night. Panic flooded through her system as the look of shock and regret filtered in through her mind’s eye. “Chat... I... I,” she stumbled out as her eyes filled to the brim with tears, “I’m sorry but I just can’t right now!” Shutting her eyes tightly, she flung herself across and away from her partner. She didn’t look back at the black cat as he watched her go with a look of pure horror and heartbreak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soo what did you guys think! Any and all feedback is appreciated :D. I hope you guys liked it though lol and we've got Marichat coming up in the next chapter! I hope you guys are looking forward to that! Hopefully it won't be tooo long of a wait even with finals! Stay tuned for more :)


	4. Moonlit Discussions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's taken me soooo long to finish Chapter 4! I've been busy with finals and finishing up projects! I hope this chapter is worth the wait, as we've finally gotten to the Marichat! I hope you don't mind that this story is written in the perspective of Chat, but I figured we should see Adrien a bit more :) Lemme know what you think in the comments below :D. Updates should be faster now that I don't have school!

Chat Noir stared after the fleeing superheroine with dread, “Oh god, what have I done?” he whispered quietly to himself. It was a few moments later, as he stood there in panic and terror, that a wave of anger and bitterness set in. Why was it _his_ fault Ladybug ran away from him? She could have, at the very least, given him a straight yes or no answer. It shouldn’t have to be _his_ fault that the superheroine never gave him a chance.

As quickly as it had come the resentment dissipated, leaving him with a feeling of emptiness and an urge to run. Unsure of where he was headed, but following the instinct surging through his bones, Chat Noir tore off through the night. As the wind whipped and whirled against his face, he leapt from rooftop to rooftop. A sense of exhaustion kicked in after a few minutes and he stopped, panting and gasping for air. Looking around his surroundings to determine where he was, he found a certain girl out on her balcony. She seemed frustrated and upset by the way she furiously scrubbed her hands down her face.

To say he had been surprised by Marinette’s confession the other day would be an understatement. The bright, bubbly girl who was constantly stuttering in his presence had always been a great friend to him and he’d never seen her in a different light. It came as a great shock to find out she did like him in that way and breaking her heart was one of the hardest things Adrien’s ever had to do. She was one of the sweetest people he knew and even now the guilt was gnawing away at his insides. Watching her avoid him at school today made Adrien feel like the worst person in the world. Unconsciously, his hand stroked the side of his cheek gently as his thoughts drifted over to their previous conversation at school. Knowing she needed time away from him hurt more than he could have imagined.

God, he already missed talking with her and it hadn’t even been a day yet. Maybe if he wasn’t allowed to talk to her as Adrien... he could talk to her as Chat Noir! After all, he just went through one of the worst days of his life watching Ladybug race away from him, and Marinette always knew just what to say to make him feel better. Even better, he might just be able to help her rekindle her relationship with Adrien! Prepared to pole-vault behind her, he hesitated, could he really do this? A large part of Adrien felt that he’d be betraying her trust by doing this, yet another part was encouraging him to go and talk to the welcoming girl. Pacing along the rooftop for a few minutes, he warred with the two different halves of himself. After a few minutes of this indecision, he came to the conclusion that he wouldn’t really be breaking her trust if he mainly discussed his feelings about Ladybug. Perhaps if she brought it up then they could discuss her feelings for Adrien. After all, it would only be fair that he helped Marinette talk through her own problems about him after Chat talked about his own. Mind made up, he gave a decisive nod to himself before landing quietly behind the fashion designer.

“That’s not gonna scare me, kitty,” Marinette smirked at him from over her shoulder.

His mouth gaped open as he stared at her in shock, “Wha...”

Her lovely giggles filled the quiet Parisian night, as she quirked her head over to where he had been pacing previously, “I saw you like five minutes ago, Chat,” her giggles subsided as she blinked her big eyes at him before turning her head to the side adorably, “What are you doing here?”

“What? A cat can’t come to visit his favorite purrincess,” he bowed elegantly.

Marinette rolled her eyes at him, smiling playfully, “Of course he _can_ , but something’s wrong. You were pacing over there just seconds before coming to talk to me and you look sad. What happened?”

_Leave it to Marinette to figure out there was something off about him within seconds of seeing him_ , Chat thought to himself in awe. He smiled softly at her, “Actually you may be right about that. Ladybug just rejected me today,”

Marinette flinched and for a second an expression of what seemed to be guilt took over her petite features. But what did she have to be guilty about? As quickly as it had come, the expression vanished as she let out a puff of air and leaned back on her railing, “I know how you feel. The guy who I was in love with rejected me too.”

Chat winced subtly, wishing futilely that it wasn’t him she was talking about, “Guess we’ve both had our hearts broken again, eh purrincess?” he came up beside her, bumping her shoulder with his gently.

She glanced over at him, smirking dryly, “And by the same people again, too.”

Chat’s heart dropped as he stared at her with horror. He was the one who broke her heart before the Glaciator battle, but what... how?

“Who uh?” he cleared his throat to drop the high-pitched squawk it had settled upon before continuing, “Who broke your heart?”

She sighed, pushing away from the balcony before dropping into a nearby lounge chair, “Adrien Agreste, but I thought we were supposed to be talking about your lady love?” Walking over and attempting to plop onto the lounge chair she was in, Chat squirmed in an attempt to find a better spot. “Chat! No! Oh my goodness, stop!!” Marinette giggled, as he practically forced her out of the chair. Letting out a shriek as she fell ungracefully to the ground, she blew a few stray hairs from her face before glaring up at him. “Really?!”

He pouted at her before shrugging teasingly, “I needed more space.”

“You are such a cat! Sheesh!” Marinette groaned, before getting up and angrily opening her trap door, “Animals first,” she smirked at him teasingly.

Tsking smoothly, Chat stood up, “Oh but you know the old saying... age before beauty.”

Glaring at him fiercely, Marinette shoved him through her trapdoor. He was cut off from his yelp as he landed on a pillow. “Oh shut up you doofus,” she called before landing next to him with a giggle, “My parents are sleeping and I don’t want them to come in to find a stray on my bed.”

“That the only reason purrincess?” he leaned in close to her face, smirking teasingly.

“Shut up!” she squealed, smacking a pillow directly into his face, “I thought you were trying to seduce Ladybug, not me!”

“Who says I’m not after you both?” he batted the pillow aside, again smirking tauntingly at her.

Marinette rolled her eyes at him, “I’m about two seconds from kicking your sorry butt out of my house and then who are you gonna dump all your lady problems onto!?”

He finally leaned back pouting at her, “Oh you know you love me.”

“You wish!”

“Well then, enough about you and me and more about you and this Agreste kid. Isn’t that the model?” Chat stretched out on her bed, using the forgotten pillow as a head-rest for his chin as he enquired after himself.

Marinette shrunk down on herself, hugging her knees to her chest as she gnawed on her lip nervously, “Yeah that would be him. Seems kinda pathetic, right? A girl like me crushing on a guy like him?”

He sputtered indignantly at her statement. _Is that really what she thought?_ He panicked slightly to himself before attempting to comfort her, “Of course not! He would be lucky to have a girl like you love him! I just meant well... why him?” Chat fumbled, hoping he didn’t sound too indelicate.

Marinette giggled at his sputterings, before smirking wryly to herself, “Yeah well, he doesn’t think so,” she paused before sucking in a deep breath, “But it’s not his fault he isn’t in love with me. That would be my own, falling in love with that stupid, beautiful model,” she paused slightly, “Besides Alya is helping me to get over him,” Marinette finished with a decisive nod.

Chat’s lips twitched up as he watched her talk. She looked so passionate when she was this determined. It reminded him of his lady whenever she shouted her plan over towards him. “And your knight in shining leather, I hope?”

She again giggled cutely at him, retracting her arms from around her knees and lying flat on her stomach next to him, “Yes, thank you ever so much, my oh so brave knight.”

Watching her relax around him left a warm, happy feeling in his chest as she struggled to grab one of the pillows behind her with her feet. When Marinette successfully plucked the pillow up from her headrest, she placed it under her chin delicately with a contented sigh. _Adorable_ , Chat thought to himself cheerfully as he nuzzled into his own pillow. Coughing slightly, he attempted to bring the conversation back to his civilian form, “So uh... about that Adrien story?”

She shook her head slightly, “It’s a long story kitty.”

“I’ve got time.”

“Fine, but only if you promise to talk about Ladybug after I’m done!” Marinette declared, poking him firmly on the nose.

“Meowch! My purrincess has claws,” Chat rubbed his nose, pouting over at her.

“Chat,” she stated warningly, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

“Alright! Alright! I purromise to talk about LB later.”

Her face brightened considerably as she beamed a lovely smile at him. A second later and her face took on a more dreamy quality as she sighed happily, staring off into her room distractedly, “To be quite honest with you, I hated him at first. I thought I caught him putting gum on my chair and swore him off as just another stuck-up rich boy.”

Chat chuckled, recalling his own memories of that first day with Marinette, “You sure he isn’t like that?”

Marinette shook her head from where it rested atop her pillow, “No, no I’m sure. He’s _so_ much more than that. I think I started to fall in love with him the next day after school ended, and it was time to go home. Dumb, clumsy me forgot an umbrella and it was raining outside,” Marinette chuckled at herself, “I was just about to brave the storm when Adrien showed up and offered me his umbrella. Here’s me barely able to look at this guy when he explains that he was only trying to take the gum _off_ my seat not put it on. And I’m pretty sure that was the moment for me... the moment I knew I wanted to see colors with him and only him,” Marinette sighed happily to herself.

Chat stared at her in awe, though a part of him felt ashamed for listening in on this, another, larger part was enraptured by her story, “What happened next?” he breathed out almost silently.

Letting out a puff of air Marinette chuckled dryly, “Well after that I could barely manage five words around him without stumbling, and that’s if I was lucky. But yesterday Adrien and I both went to the movies. Poor guy didn’t realize that my best friend, Alya set us up to go alone.”

_No, I hadn’t realized that_ , Chat thought to himself as felt his cheeks warm slightly.

“I almost didn’t go,” Marinette continued, “but Alya convinced me that it was a good idea... and so I went. But then when we actually got around to watching the movie, suddenly all I could think and feel was _him_. I don’t know how to describe it other than a pleasant warmth that flooded through me,” Marinette flipped over onto her back, stretching her arms up to the sky before letting them fall at her sides.

“Mhm,” Chat squeaked out, urging Marinette to continue.

“Well, I mean I don’t know. I thought it was a soulmate thing and Adrien was feeling it too, but I don’t think he did. I barely remember five minutes of that movie cause I kept glancing over at him,” she laughed.

Chat felt his face heat up once again. He did remember her staring at him during their movie night, but he thought it was because she wanted to see his reactions, not because of whatever _this_ was. It felt different hearing her retelling of that night versus the one he could recall for himself, “How do you know he didn’t feel it?”

Marinette groaned, scrubbing her hands down her face frustratedly, “Because he was focused entirely on the film! Never once did he look down and care to notice that his foot was touching my own! Stupid, dumb, oblivious model,” she grumbled to herself.

“Yeah,” Chat croaked out. Had he ever put his foot against hers? He didn’t remember doing that.

“Yeah,” Marinette once again flipped over onto her stomach, stabbing a finger through the air menacingly, “And that’s not even the worst part! It was all compliments and him leaning over to whisper in my _ear,_ no less, after the film was over! And then he even had the decency to look shocked after I asked him out,” she face-planted directly into her pillow muffling her next words.

Chat’s face felt as though it was on fire. How had he done all of these things without noticing? “Mari?” he questioned worriedly after her face still didn’t come up for air.

“Mmfgrh,” came the smothered reply.

“Marinette?” he poked her shoulder with a long claw to gauge whether or not she had died in the last five minutes.

“I said how could I have gotten the signs wrong,” her face popped up finally, staring at him dejectedly.

Attempting to console her, he scooted his pillow closer to the distraught girl, “Well it doesn’t sound like you did.”

Marinette let out a strangled laugh, “Obviously I did seeing as how he rejected me as soon as I asked him out,” she pushed up from her pillow, climbing down her ladder and began pacing her bedroom floor, “Sometimes I’m still angry at him for that. How could he just reject me like that without even trying to _see_ if I was his soulmate,” she groaned, jumping into her chair and allowing the momentum to spin her around for a bit.

Chat winced before getting up and following her down the ladder. _Am I actually helping her or hurting her by being here_? He wondered to himself, before gently stopping her slow spin with a gentle hand. “Mari, are you alright?”

“Yes, kitty. I will be. It really helped talking to you,” she paused before chuckling, “I actually told you things I haven’t told Alya yet,” she smiled brightly up at him, pushing up from her chair as she walked over to her chaise. Plopping down on the soft cushion she patted the spot next to her, “Now I believe it’s time for you to talk about your feelings about Ladybug.”

Trudging over to her slowly Chat scanned her face, unsure of whether or not she was lying to him, “Are you sure?”

“Yes kitty I’m sure,” she giggled lightly, “Now get over here I promise I don’t bite.”

“No, you just scratch,” he teased sitting down next to her. Her hand came up in the air in the form of a mock claw as she hissed at him. Laughing he stared up at Marinette’s ceiling, “Where to start... where to start,”

“How about the beginning?” she offered gently.

Chat sighed gently as he thought back on their first battle with Stoneheart, “Well when I first met her she seemed unsure of herself and almost scared.”

Marinette scoffed, laughing almost nervously, “Pfft what do you mean? Ladybug, scared?”

“Yeah, it’s hard to imagine now but she was definitely scared during that first battle. Which made her all the braver when she rushed in to protect a civilian,” His eyes closed, remembering her look of determination and passion when she finally trusted herself, “I think that was the moment I fell in love with her. Watching someone I know who was scared to death of messing up and yet was standing up anyway made me instantly realize she was the one.”

Marinette gasped next to him and his eyes opened, looking over at her curiously. “Sorry... sorry, I just never knew you felt that strongly about her.”

“I could fill up pages of writings over how much I love that girl.”

“I know how you feel,” she brought her knees up to her chest, hugging them gently again, “But what made you decide to come to me tonight?”

“I asked her out on a date,” Chat said simply.

“And she said no?” Marinette asked, chewing on her lip nervously.

He shook his head, falling backwards onto the chaise, “No, it was worse than that.”

“I-,” Marinette started, before sucking in a deep breath and continuing, “Worse than that?”

“She just ran away from me,” Chat scrubbed his hands down his face, “Didn’t even give me an answer.”

“Do you know why or something?” she nervously asked, tapping her index fingers together anxiously.

_That’s funny, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her do that little habit in front of me as Chat_ , he remarked to himself silently. “Nope, all I got from her was that she ‘couldn’t do this right now.’ But everything seemed to be going well right before I asked her out! We were on patrol laughing and goofing around before she just left me there.”

“Well, I’m sure she’ll explain herself the next time you see her!” the fashion designer said determinedly.

“Thanks for your eternal optimism,” Chat groaned to himself.

Marinette leaned down to look at his face from her position next to him, her eyes bright as she smiled at him softly, “I’m certain that everything is going to work out, Chat.”

“Thanks,” he blushed as she leaned closer to touch his nose with the tip of her finger.

“Now would you like to play a video game or something? I could grab us a few snacks from downstairs?”

“Actually purrincess, this kitty has to go. If I miss curfew, it’s lights out for this kitty cat,” Chat pushed up from the chaise, stretching his sore muscles. Making his way up to Marinette’s balcony, he felt a sharp tug on his tail. Turning around he looked over at the girl who was nervously chewing on her lip. “Yes, Mari?”

“Thank you for coming over, Chat,” she said before taking in a deep breath, “And you know... if you ever need a friend to talk to... I’m always here,”

“You know the same extends to you, purrincess. This tomcat will always be at your service,” his eyes softened as he bowed elegantly to her.

“I mean it you know. I feel like I can’t tell Alya the same things I can tell you,”

A twinge of guilt swooped through his stomach before he brushed it aside, “If you’d like I could come back tomorrow?” Chat said hopefully.

“If you aren’t too busy,” she bit down softly on her lip, looking down at the floor.

He lifted her chin slightly to look into her eyes, “I don’t think I could ever be too busy for my purrincess,” Chat then leaped up through the trapdoor, tearing off once again into the night. The wind swirled around him as he quickly and efficiently made his way up through the Agreste manor’s defenses. Once he was safely in his bedroom he called off his transformation, giving Plagg a slice of cheese. Flopping down on his bed he sighed into his pillow.

“What are you doing, Adrien? I thought you rejected Marinette?” the kwami floated over towards him after finishing his cheese.

“What do you mean Plagg? I did reject Marinette...” Adrien picked his head up from its location on his pillow, staring at the kwami curiously.

Plagg scoffed, “I still don’t understand why you did that by the way. You had one of the sweetest smelling girls in Paris going after you.”

“I’m waiting for Ladybug,” Adrien muttered dejectedly.

“And look where that’s gotten you,” the floating cat shook his head sadly, “But if you don’t love Marinette, why are you going to her dressed like Chat Noir?

“Because she won’t talk to me as Adrien and I miss her,” the model flipped over onto his back, staring at the ceiling of his large bedroom.

“So let me get this straight, you rejected Marinette for a superheroine who has _never_ responded to your advances and now you _miss_ her?”

“Of course I do, Plagg! Marinette has always been a great friend to me. She’s kind, nice, and always determined.”

Plagg scoffed once again, floating away to a different section of the room, “Wake me up when you realize!”

“Realize what?” Adrien asked curiously.

“That you’re an idiot!”


	5. A Fresh Start

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 5 of Dreaming in Black and White is finally here! Sorry for the long wait I've just been pretty busy with going to acen with my bff and writing for Marichat May! I hope this chapter is still enjoyable for everyone though as we get into the Lukanette of the story. Comments and kudos are the love of my life btw in case you didn't know hehe <3

Marinette’s eyes popped open at the harsh sound of her phone ringing. Blearily she searched for the annoying device. As she grasped onto the cell phone the ringing stopped and she sighed in relief. Marinette then furiously began blinking to shake off the exhaustion that had settled within her eyes. Squinting as the blurriness slowly left her vision, Marinette began reading the messages from Alya that littered her phone.

**Alya** :  _ Are you upppp? _

**Alya** :  _ Seriously wake up I have something important to tell you! _

**Alya** :  _ Marinetteeeee  _ 😩

**Alya** :  _ I’m gonna call you in the next three seconds if you don’t answerrrr _

Marinette groaned as she saw the texts, exhaustedly wondering what Alya could have possibly woken her up for.

**Marinette** :  _ WHat do you want?  _

**Marinette** :  _ I’m tireD _

**Alya** : _ Hold on I’ll call you _

Marinette’s phone suddenly lit up with Alya’s number as she annoyedly answered it, “What?!” she tiredly shouted.

“I got you a date,” her cheerful voice came from the other side of the phone.

“You did what?!” the designer screeched.

“I got you a date.”

Marinette pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head to rid it of its confusion, “I’m sorry. I’m so tired I keep thinking I hear you say that you got me a date. What did you actually want to tell me?”

“No, you’re actually right! I did get you a date. You better get ready girl, cause Luka’s going to be there in like three hours,” Alya chirped.

“You... tell me you did not get me a date two days after Adrien rejected me?!”

“I told you I’m helping you to get over that dumb model! And that means starting to find a new boy to crush on! Besides, I’ve seen how you look at Luka,” the reporter chuckled mischievously.

“Alya I am not the type to go on rebound dates just for the sake of it! Is Luka cute? Definitely yes, but I don’t know if I’m ready to start dating yet!” Marinette squawked indignantly.

“Marinette,” Alya started off softly, “You don’t have to stay with Luka forever. One date isn’t going to kill either of you. And who knows, maybe you end up having fun and accept another date from him. You don’t know if Luka is your soulmate or not unless you  _ try _ , Marinette.”

Marinette scrubbed her hands down her face, trying to erase the memory of running away from Chat the other night. Watching his face drop because she was unable to forget Adrien’s own eyes when he rejected her. “I don’t want to hurt him,” Marinette whispered.

“Luka’s a teenage boy, Marinette. I think he can handle it if the two of you aren’t destined to be.”

“Fine then, I’ll go!” Marinette groaned exasperatedly.

“Great! Just remember he’s coming over in three hours, so anything you have to do now, get it done quick!” Alya said before hanging up.

“I’m gonna kill that girl one of these days,” Marinette muttered to herself as she shook her head.

Tikki yawned, rubbing her eyes as she stared at the girl race around her room trying desperately to pick out an outfit, “Marinette?” she asked as she floated over towards her.

“Sorry, Tikki! I know it’s early but my best friend set me up on a date,” she chuckled as she once again flicked through all the clothes in her closet.

“Do you know where you’re going?”

“No, but it’s pretty warm out so I figure a cute sundress will work just fine,” Marinette smiled happily, waving a pretty dress that was still on its hangar. Racing downstairs to the bathroom, she changed into the dress, placing her hair up into its usual pigtails. Smoothing her hands down the slight wrinkles, she examined the light grey dress in the mirror, “Perfect,” she whispered to herself.

Making her way out of the bathroom, she saw her mom lounging on the couch, watching the news. When Sabine turned her head to her she smiled, “You look pretty. Are you going somewhere important today?”

Marinette felt her cheeks warm slightly, “I actually have a date today.”

“Is this with a certain Adrien Agreste?” her mom teased.

Marinette felt her cheeks pale and her heart drop in a matter of seconds, “Actually um, I’m going on a date with Luka.”

Sabine looked towards her in confusion, before brushing the matter aside after glancing at Marinette’s pale face, “Alright then. Well, you look as beautiful as always.”

“Thank you, Maman,” she smiled before heading back up the stairs, “Oh I almost forgot! What color is my dress?”

“It’s a very light yellow, which is as bright and cheerful as the sun itself,” her mom smiled back at her.

“Wow,” she breathed out, “I can’t wait to see colors.”

“Well, maybe this Luka will be able to help you see them,” her mom winked at her. 

Grinning widely, Marinette completed her walk up the stairs to her bedroom. Checking the clock on her cellphone, she breathed a sigh of relief as she realized she had plenty of time left.

“Marinette, you look beautiful!” Tikki’s eyes twinkled in excitement as she flitted around the girl.

Marinette laughed, “Thank you, Tikki,” she hugged the kwami to her cheek. Sitting down at her computer, she began doodling some random sketches for future designs. 

In what seemed like a matter of minutes, her mom was knocking on her trapdoor, “Marinette! Luka’s here to see you!”

“Coming!” she shouted downstairs, before turning to Tikki with a nervous smile, “Wish me luck.”

“Good luck, Marinette,” she winked at the girl before zipping into the girl's open purse.

Clearing her throat, Marinette opened the hatch and walked down the stairs, taking care not to trip. She was greeted by the sight of Luka talking with her parents before he turned to her with a bright smile, “Marinette, you look gorgeous as always.”

“Oh,” her cheeks flushed as she sweetly smiled at him, “Thank you.”

“Where are you two going today?” her mom beamed at the two of them.

“I’m taking Marinette to a new music café that just opened up,” Luka glanced down at the time on his phone, “Actually we had better get going now, Marinette. Sorry, Madame and Monsieur Dupain-Cheng.”

“Oh don’t worry about us,” her father chuckled, “Just have fun and make certain to bring her back soon.”

“I will, thank you,” Luka smiled at her parents before slinging an arm around her shoulder and began leading her outside.

“So how has your weekend been?” Marinette sweetly asked as they walked.

“Well, I’m going on a date with the sweetest, prettiest girl I know so it’s been pretty great so far,” he winked at her, “What about you?”

Marinette blushed, her face regaining some heat from the slight breeze that brushed across her cheeks, “It’s been great now that I’m with you,” she smiled shyly up at him from beneath her lashes.

“How can you be so adorable?” Luka breathed out, staring in awe down at her.

Marinette’s eyes widened as she buried her head into his shoulder, “Stop that,” her giggles filled the street they were crossing.

He tilted her head back up to look directly into her eyes, “Stop what? I’m just telling you the truth.”

“Y-yeah?” she stuttered out.

“Yes,” Luka kissed her forehead gently before holding the door open for her as they entered into the café. Marinette smiled as she listened to the gentle music that was being played around the small shop. Swaying slightly to the sound, she let Luka guide her to the register.

“One hot chocolate please, and what would you like Marinette?” the musician turned to her.

“Oh sorry! One hot tea with lemon please,” she beamed at the attendant.

“Alright, so that will be one hot chocolate and one hot tea with lemon,” Luka handed the girl the money as they waited for their drinks to be made. 

“I’m really enjoying the music in here,” Marinette turned to the musicians as she bobbed her head back and forth to the beat.

“Yeah?” Luka asked shyly, “You know I play in here sometimes if you’d ever want to come and see me?”

Marinette smiled up at him, “I’d love to. Just let me know when you’re available.”

“I will,” he grinned back at her.

“One hot chocolate and one hot tea with lemon!” a shout startled the two from continuing to grin and stare into the other’s eyes.

“Thank you,” Marinette softly said as Luka swooped in, quickly picking up their drinks and finding a table for them to sit at. Curling up in her seat she turned to the beams of sunlight that came from the window next to her.

“Enjoying the warmth?” Luka asked as he sipped his cup of hot cocoa.

Marinette nodded, “I can’t wait for it to be summer. It’s my favorite season!”

“Me either. Though I must admit I’m more partial to fall myself,” Luka chuckled at her.

Marinette picked up her teacup, blowing softly on the drink before sipping it delicately, “I like fall too! Fall fashion is my favorite! Pumpkins and beautiful red leaves make for some pretty great inspiration!”

Luka chuckled at her enthusiasm before smiling, “I’m really glad you let me take you out today, Marinette. I haven’t seen you in a while and I really missed you.”

She blushed, fiddling with her teacup slightly, “I’m glad I went out with you too, Luka. It’s a shame you’re not in my class so we can't see each other as often,” she glanced shyly up at him from underneath her lashes.

“I don’t know about that,” he laughed.

“Why not?” Marinette asked curiously.

“Because if I was in your class I’m pretty certain I would be too distracted to work,” he brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face, “I’d be too busy staring at you.”

Marinette felt her cheeks flare up even more with his beautiful words, letting out a happy sigh as she beamed at him. Practically melting in her seat, Marinette was mentally thanking Alya for forcing her out on a day where all she wanted to do was sleep.  _ It's nice _ , she thought,  _ having someone like me as _ more  _ than a friend for once _ .

She was broken from her happy reverie, however, from the sound of screams and shouts as people began disappearing outside. “AKUMA!” someone in the restaurant shouted before the alarms started blaring outside.

Turning to Luka with an apologetic smile she noticed he was staring at her in panic, “Marinette we have to get you back home where you’ll be safe!”

“I was just about to sugg-” Marinette was cut off as the musician yanked her up out of her seat and into the crowded streets of Paris. Holding tightly onto her hand Marinette was dragged along behind him as he ducked and dodged the people racing towards him.  _ How am I going to transform _ ? Marinette silently panicked to herself as the boy seemed determined to make certain she was safe.

They were stopped in their path by a beautiful girl landing on one of the rooftops in front of them, “I am Lady Spectacle and I will punish any who never saw me for what I was! For never noticing the amazing girl that I am I will be turning all of you invisible! Then you will finally know what it’s like for others to never pay attention to you!” she screeched. 

Marinette gasped as she noticed the akumatized girl aim what seemed to be a hairdryer directly at her. Tensing herself to jump out of the way as a beam of light raced towards her, she felt a hard shove come from the person next to her. Letting out a groan of pain as she landed on the hard road next to her, Marinette scrambled to get up and race over to Luka, “Are you okay?! You didn’t have to do that!” she scanned him for any injuries.

“I’m fine Marinette,” he grinned weakly at her. 

Marinette smiled, relieved before she noticed the tips of his fingers were gone. Gasping quietly she reached for his hand, letting out a puff of air when she realized that his fingers were still there, just translucent, “You did get hit, didn’t you?” she stared at him beseechingly.

“Yeah, yeah I think I did," he smiled sheepishly at her, "But you need to go now before she hits you too Marinette! Head home and wait there! Ladybug and Chat Noir will save the day just like they always do!”

Gulping in a quiet breath of air, she stood up, just barely managing to dodge another beam of light from the girl’s weapon. Rushing into a back alley she opened up her purse to transform into Ladybug, “We need to save Luka!” she said determinedly to Tikki’s own fierce nod, “It’s time to transform! Tikki spots on!” Marinette let out an earnest shout as the kwami’s magic flooded through her and she completed her transformation into the superheroine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you guys think of this chapter? It's kinda short but we're going to dive into the action of the akuma attack next chapter and we'll also see some Marichat! Don't forget to leave a comment or a kudos if you enjoyed :)


	6. Lady Spectacle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we are finally back! Sorry it's taken me soo long to get this chapter up you guys! I've just been busy finishing up Marichat May and then starting Ladrien June. I hope this chapter makes up for it <3! Forgive meeeeee!! I still don't know how I feel about my akuma attacks... I don't think I'm the best at writing them but I'm trying lol! Also, this chapter has some *bitter* Ladrien, some Ladynoir, and some Marichat <3\. I hope you all enjoy :D

Adrien had just managed to slip away from his latest photoshoot and was going to grab a bite to eat when the alarms started. Letting out a quiet groan, he was about to duck into a nearby alley to transform when he heard a panicked shout of, “Look out!” before he was tackled directly into the ground. Wincing as he glared at whoever decided to attack him, his eyes widened as he saw Ladybug. Her own eyes were widened in shock before they seemed to narrow in almost... anger? But what could  _ she _ have to be mad about? She wasn’t the one who left  _ him _ stranded last night. “You should pay more attention to where you’re going,” Ladybug almost huffed at him, “The akuma was about to shoot you.”

“Oh, I’m sorry Ladybug,” Adrien shot her a fake smile, just barely refraining from rolling his eyes at the superheroine.

“Let’s get you to safety. Come on,” she yanked him up off of the ground with a harsh tug. The model winced slightly once she had turned around to scan the area for the akuma, rubbing his arm.  _ Well,  _ someone _ has woken up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Hopefully, she leaves me alone quickly so I can transform _ , he thought to himself bitterly. 

“Alright, it’s clear!” Ladybug replied in a clipped tone before yanking him to her forcefully once again. Adrien subtly glared at the superheroine as they began their journey across Paris.  _ Of course there just had to be an akuma the day after Ladybug rejected me, _ Adrien bemoaned to himself silently, _ I wonder if she’s going to act this way when Chat Noir gets there.  _ Upon  landing at the front gate of his mansion, Ladybug quickly let go of him and immediately turned away, “Stay safe,” she called over her shoulder before swinging away.

“Well that was awkward,” Plagg winced, appearing out of his front pocket once Adrien had managed to find a quiet alley.

“You’re telling me. She couldn’t even drop me off in my bedroom... You don’t think she knows, do you?” Adrien questioned before shaking his head quickly, “No. If Ladybug knew there would be no reason for her to be angry.”

Plagg stared at him in concern, “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

“I’ve got to be,” Adrien shrugged before calling on his transformation, “Plagg, claws out!” The kwami was sent into his ring with an indignant squawk and Adrien was infused with a rush of power as he became Chat Noir. Stretching out his muscles he extended his baton and began rushing over to the last place he had spotted the akuma. Upon arrival, he found the superheroine ducking and weaving from the beams of light the akuma seemed to be shooting from her hair dryer.

“Chat Noir!” Ladybug shouted over to him, “Am I glad to see you! Lady Spectacle is able to turn people invisible with her hairdryer and I’m pretty certain that’s where the akuma is hiding!”

“Mhm,” Chat Noir stiffly nodded as he focused in on the girl. She was standing in front of them, a light smirk playing on her face as she shot beams of grey light over towards them. 

The two superheroines ducked and weaved as Lady Spectacle cackled over at them, “Aww did the little Lady need to bring in her kitten to come and save her?” she grinned wickedly.

Chat scowled, practically bristling at her words, “Cataclysm!”

“Chat no!” Ladybug shouted back but it was too late, the superhero’s fist was glowing with the destructive energy.

Letting out an angry shout, he rushed at the akuma. As he reached out for her hairdryer the akuma smirked and shot a bright beam of light towards him. Chat ducked and winced as his claw grazed the floor, destroying the surface underneath him. He was dropped to the lower layer of dirt and looked up at the akuma above him.

“Hand over your miraculous or your Lady will never see you again!” Lady Spectacle aimed her hairdryer at him before she was struck in the side by a yo-yo. Distracted by the sharp pain in her side, the akuma turned both her glare and hairdryer on the superheroine instead.

Taking quick notice of the distraction, Chat jumped out of the small hole and moved to take cover. His ring gave a small beep of protest as he continued to narrowly dodge the blasts being shot at him. 

“Keep on dancing my puppets! I’m  _ really _ enjoying this! Sooner or later you’re bound to get tired!” Lady Spectacle cackled.

“I think a Lucky Charm would be really handy right now, Ladybug!” Chat Noir said as he just narrowly avoided getting hit, “She’s right! I am getting kinda tired over here!”

Giving him a short nod, Ladybug threw her yo-yo into the air, “Lucky Charm!” She blinked down in surprise at the small mirror in her hand before glancing around to see how it could be used. “You know Lady Spectacle, I don’t think your aim is very accurate!” Ladybug taunted with a proud smirk on her face as she hid the mirror behind her back, “You couldn’t even hit Chat Noir while he was in a hole. So I’m willing to bet you couldn’t hit me even if I just stood here!”

Growling in anger, Lady Spectacle shouted, “That’s because you distracted me!” Her eyes flamed with fury as she aimed the hairdryer at the frozen Ladybug.

“Ladybug! Look out!” Chat screamed as the light raced towards her. Quick as a flash, Ladybug whipped out the mirror at the last second, reflecting the beam of energy back at the girl. 

“No!” Lady Spectacle shouted as she attempted to dodge but failed. The light struck her straight in the chest, sending the hairdryer flying out of her hands.

Though she scrambled to reach for it, Ladybug was faster and quickly wrapped her yo-yo around the small object. The hairdryer landed smoothly in her hands with a quick tug of her weapon. With a bright smile, Ladybug broke the object, “It’s time to de-evilize! Gotcha!” she shouted as her yo-yo captured the akuma, “Bye bye little butterfly!” she waved as the small creature flew away happily, “Miraculous Ladybug!” Ladybug yelled as she threw the mirror into the air, restoring everything to what it once was. As she helped the young girl up, Chat turned to go as his ring gave off another beep.

“Chat wait!” a gloved hand latched around his arm. Ladybug turned him around to face her and stared into his eyes inquisitively, “Pound it?” she lifted her fist up slowly.

“Pound it,” he gave her a brisk nod, connecting their fists together before he turned around to leave once again.

“No Chat, wait!” Ladybug tightened her grip on his wrist, “I think we need to have a talk,” she was nibbling on her lip nervously as she looked up at him.

The superhero sighed, “About what?”

“About last night,” she threw her hands into the air exasperatedly and damn if he didn’t still find her hand movements utterly adorable.

“What about it?” Chat asked stiffly.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about Chat Noir. Don’t think I don’t know that last night was the reason as to why you used Cataclysm so early. We were lucky my Lucky Charm didn’t require your power,” Ladybug glared pointedly, poking a finger in his chest, “We need to get this behind us so that this doesn’t happen for future akuma battles.”

“Fine,” he sighed, “But can we save this discussion for later tonight? My miraculous is about to run out,” he waved his hand in her face as he blatantly showed off his ring which gave off another small beep.

“Later tonight?” she frowned, “I’m supposed to be meeting a friend tonight.” And why did she look so offended when she said that? “Can we do this tomorrow night instead?”

“Yeah, fine, whatever,” Chat waved her off before extending his baton and fled away from the superheroine.

“Why does that cat have to be so stubborn?” Ladybug grumbled after his retreating form before heading off to her own home to detransform.

When Adrien got home he immediately called off his transformation, flopping onto his pillow as he buried his head in his hands. Plagg floated nearby, “What was that about?”

“I don’t know Plagg,” he mumbled into his pillow, “I got upset and then suddenly I was just rushing forward.”

“Well, hopefully, your talk tomorrow will help fix things between you. You need to get your head on straight,” the kwami rolled his eyes before poking the boy in the shoulder, “Now where’s my camembert?”

“Ugh, you’re incorrigible!” Adrien stood up frustratedly before walking over to his cabinet, “Here’s the cheese you so desperately wanted!” 

The tiny cat’s eyes lit up as he engulfed the delicious camembert in one bite, “So, I assume we’re visiting your princess tonight, right? I’m hoping that will help you with the whole brooding thing you’ve got going on now,” his hand gestured to Adrien’s body.

The model gasped, “That’s right! I’m supposed to meet Marinette tonight! I completely forgot about that after the whole akuma attack and seeing Ladybug again,” he nibbled on his lip thoughtfully as he stared at Plagg, “Do you think it’s too early for me to go now? I could really use her advice on what happened today.”

“Sure,” the kwami shrugged, “It’s not me that still needs to do homework.”

“I can do homework tomorrow. It’ll be Sunday, after all,” Adrien waved off his concerns, “Plagg, claw-”

He was cut off by Plagg rushing over to him, “Wait! Before you become Chat Noir again, I have to ask you something!”

“Okay... What is it?” the boy lowered his fist to peer into the tiny cat’s eyes curiously.

“Don’t you find it odd how cold Ladybug acted around  _ Adrien _ , yet didn’t act that way at all around Chat Noir?” Plagg said pointedly.

“Huh...” Adrien scratched his chin thoughtfully, “I hadn’t thought about that. It is funny. I mean it was Chat Noir she turned down not Adrien.”

The kwami flitted over to him as the model sat down on his bed once more, hand still rubbing his chin contemplatively. The cat’s eyes seemed to be widening as they stared at Adrien as though the boy should be realizing something important. “Well?” Plagg asked.

“I don’t know,” he ended up shrugging, “Maybe she just had a bad start to her day or something.”

“I give up, again!” the kwami muttered, “You’re absolutely hopeless.”

“ _ Alright _ ,” Adrien dragged the word out, “I’m going to transform now.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just do whatever. I don’t care. You’ll figure it out eventually, I guess.”

Adrien’s eyebrow rose in confusion before he shrugged again, chalking up Plagg’s weird behavior to having to transform twice in one day, “Plagg! Claws out!” The kwami was sucked into his ring with an angry shout as Adrien completed his transformation. 

The energy flooded through his bones as usual, making him more alert and aware as he carefully snuck his way out of the Agreste manor. Once out, he began hopping from rooftop to rooftop as the wind casually brushed against his face. Chat noticed that the sun was slowly dipping down over the horizon as it became late afternoon. The superhero quickly found himself by the rooftop nearby Marinette’s as he noticed with relief that the girl was out on her balcony. He also saw the small cellphone in her hand and strained to listen as he managed to catch a small snippet of her conversation. 

“Yes, Alya. Everything went fine until the akuma attack happened,” Marinette sighed over the phone before she caught sight of him and waved him over, “Now I have to go. I have a  _ ton _ of homework I need to catch up on tonight.”

He landed behind her deftly as she hung up the phone and turned to look at him with a small smirk. Chat bowed graciously to her, “A fine night for a conversation, isn’t it purrincess?”

The fashion designer chuckled, “I suppose so. Aren’t you a bit early though? I figured you’d be coming later tonight.”

“You wound me,” he placed a hand over his heart, “Here I am thinking you actually enjoyed spending time with me.”

“Shut up,” she punched his shoulder lightly, “You know I do.”

“In all seriousness though, I saw Ladybug sooner then I expected and needed a friend to talk too,” Chat stared at her softly.

Marinette’s own eyes softened as she looked at him, “Yeah? I saw something about that on the news. You used your Cataclysm pretty early on...”

“Yeah,” he sighed before plopping into her lounge chair, “I didn’t even realize how angry I was until Lady Spectacle made a comment about me being her ‘kitty,’” he glared down at the floor.

Her hand gently tilted his chin up as she picked his gaze up from the floor, “It’s okay to be angry, Chat. Though I have to ask, would you like to come inside or are we gonna have the same issue with the chair that we did last night?” Marinette nodded at his seat with a small smirk teasing at her lips.

Chat chuckled at her, “I can share if you can,” he wiggled his eyebrows at her teasingly.

“You flirt,” she rolled her eyes before going over to her trapdoor and lifting it up, “Go inside and wait while I bring us up some treats ok?”

“Ooh! Do you have croissants?” he asked excitedly, tail swishing behind him as he jumped down onto her bed.

“Of course you want croissants,” Marinette laughed before following after him, “We probably do, but I’ll have to go check. I’ll be back soon! Don’t break or touch anything!” she glared before disappearing down the other trapdoor and headed downstairs to the bakery.

The superhero leaned back on Marinette’s headrest, eyes drifting lazily around her room. His gaze paused as he noticed something he hadn’t the last time he was here. Her Adrien posters were gone.  _ Huh, did I just miss that last night or did she take them down this morning? _ Chat thought to himself curiously.

“I’m back!” Marinette’s head popped up from the trapdoor, her bright eyes sparkling at him adorably, “And I brought croissants!” she held up a plate full of the delectable treat.

He was by her side in an instant, picking up one of the delicious creations and shoving it into his mouth with one bite. The superhero moaned in satisfaction at the taste, the croissant warming his insides as it traveled down his throat, “Wonderful as always, Marinette!” he chirped cheerily at her.

“You’re disgusting!” she stared at him in disgust, “How do you know it’s wonderful if you just destroy it in one bite!” her lip jutted out in a pout.

“Because everything that comes out of this bakery is perfect,” Chat smiled happily at her.

The fashion designer glanced down shyly as she murmured, “Thank you.”

“So I have to ask because I just noticed this tonight, but when did you take down the Adrien posters?” he nodded at her empty wall.

Marinette glanced over curiously, “Oh,  _ those _ . I took them down yesterday with Alya’s help,” she bit her lip after letting out a cute giggle, “She called it taking out the trash.”

“Alya? Isn’t that the girl you were on the phone with earlier?” he asked.

“Didn’t anyone ever tell you that curiosity killed the cat?” she shook her head with a bright laugh.

“Ah yes, but satisfaction brought it back after all,” Chat teased, “So?”

“You’re so nosy,” Marinette rolled her eyes at him before plopping down on her chaise, taking a bite out of one of the still warm croissants, “But yes, that was Alya I was talking too.”

“And?” he questioned further, wondering what she had meant about her day going fine until the akuma attack.  _ Did she get hit? She does seem to be akuma friendly. Maybe I should be keeping a closer eye on her, _ Chat wondered to himself.

“What did I say about being nosy, kitty,” she rolled her eyes again as she took another bite out of the treat. He merely reached forward onto her plate, grabbing and stuffing another croissant down his throat much to Marinette’s displeased groan. “Fine. If you really must know Alya set me up on a date today.”

“Oh?” he managed to lightly smile at her as a weird feeling struck his chest. Clearing his throat in an attempt to shake off the odd swooping that was wrecking his insides, Chat focused back on what Marinette was saying to him.

“Yeah,” she sighed happily, “It was going great until the akuma attack happened. I was kinda worried after the whole Adrien thing but I’m glad I went out with him today. I think he actually likes being with me! Even if our date did end up getting cut short by Lady Spectacle.”

“Yeah?” he rubbed at his stomach with a light frown. Maybe Marinette was right and I did eat those croissants too quickly... “Who was the guy?”

“Luka Couffaine,” a bright beam grew across her features as she stared off into space, “But enough about my love life. What happened with you and Ladybug today?” Marinette shook herself as she turned to stare at him again.

Luka? Luka? Where had he heard that name before? Chat racked his brain furiously for any mention of the boy before he noticed the young designer staring at him expectantly. “What?” the superhero chuckled nervously, “Sorry I zoned out a bit there. Think I had too many croissants.”

Her lips pursed as her brow creased, “See I told you!” Marinette placed the plate to the other side of her, away from Chat, much to his pout, “But I was asking you about what happened between you and Ladybug today.”

Oh, right. That was the reason he was here today after all. He sighed before he stood up and began pacing the floor of her bedroom, “I don’t even know really. Like I said before, I just wasn’t able to control my anger after Lady Spectacle made a dumb comment.”

“And like _I_ told _you_ it’s okay to be angry, Chat,” Marinette nodded, “But you guys are protecting Paris, and you might not get as lucky with Ladybug’s Lucky Charm next time,” she pointed out logically.

“I know,” the superhero sighed dejectedly, his ears drooping, “And it’s not like I want to see either her or Paris hurt but it was like I just lost my head there.”

“I understand,” Marinette stood up and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, “You were still angry at her after last night and lost control of your emotions. I think the best thing for the two of you is to meet up and actually talk about what happened that night. It sounds like some sort of miscommunication is happening here to me.”

“Yeah, we’re meeting up tomorrow after she rushed to talk to me after the akuma attack. I could barely even look at her though, Mari. I don’t know how this conversation is going to go tomorrow. I’m actually kind of scared,” his eyes turned to her worriedly.

Marinette’s own eyes softened at his look before she pulled him in for a tight hug, standing up on her tip-toes as her arms locked around his neck, “Oh, don’t say that kitty. It sounds like this whole situation was her fault, to begin with. I mean, did she give you any sign that she was angry at you?”

“No, it was the opposite actually,” Chat’s head shook slightly as his own hands came up to lock her in a tight embrace, “She seemed more scared to talk to me actually.”

“Then there you go,” the designer leaned back away from their hug with a bright smile, much to his disappointment, “Maybe she feels just as bad as you do about this whole situation.”

“I suppose you’re right,” he sighed as he looked away from her.

She turned back to the chaise as she picked up a croissant, “I know I said that you shouldn’t eat another one of these... but my parents have always told me that food makes everything better,” Marinette chuckled happily, capturing her bottom lip between her teeth, “So eat one, just not as quickly this time!” she placed the slightly warm croissant in his gloved hand.

The superhero took a bite of the delicious treat, chewing slowly this time though his stomach pain had gone away long ago. His eyes fluttered closed as he savored the delicate crispiness of the pastry.

“Better when you aren’t shoving down the whole thing in one bite, right?” she smirked at him proudly.

“Right as always, purrincess,” he chuckled before smiling brightly back at her.

“But of course,” Marinette’s enchanting laughter filled the room, “But let me know how that talk goes tomorrow. Maybe she’ll explain her side of the story and you two will become a better team again!”

Chat smiled softly at her, “I hope so, Mari. Your optimism as always is just purrfect.”

Her face dropped into a grimace, “Seriously! I think that’s the first cat pun you’ve made throughout this conversation.”

“Oh mew know you love them. They’re clawsome afur all,” he winked at her, “But how could you forget about purrincess. That’s a cat pun too you know,” a pout took over Chat’s features.

“You’re terrible,” Marinette rolled her eyes before going over and sitting in her desk chair, “And you say purrincess around me so often that I don’t even associate it with a pun at this point.”

He threw his head back and laughed, the angry bitterness he had been feeling about Ladybug completely disappearing as he spent more time around Marinette. “Is that so, purrincess?” Chat dragged out the purr obnoxiously.

The designer dropped her head into her hands with a groan, “Why did I invite you over again?”

“Because I’m pawsome,” he smirked.

“You’re insufferable is what you are,” she muttered before picking her head up from her hands, “And I think you’ve used that pun already today.”

“No I said clawsome,” he leaned into her face, “Two different puns I think you’ll find.”

“Ugh!” she pushed his face away as she stood up, “You smell like cheese!”

“That’ll be Plagg’s fault,” Chat walked back over to her chaise as he picked up another croissant and began eating the treat.   


“Plagg?” Marinette blinked innocently as she followed after him and yanking the half-eaten croissant away from him, “And I thought I told you to stop eating these! You already had one stomachache, you don't need another one!”

He pouted at her before picking up a croissant on the plate next to him and eating the whole thing in one bite as a smirk grew on his features, “A wise woman told me that food makes everything better," Chat winked, "And Plagg’s my kwami who will only eat cheese, particularly stinky camembert.”

Her eyes darted nervously over to a side of her room before they flicked back to him. Her fierce glare trained on his eyes before she looked at the empty plate, “You’re an idiot who must be  _ trying _ to give themselves a stomachache! I gave you  _ one _ croissant to eat slowly. I didn’t mean for you to devour a whole plate!”

Chat yanked the croissant out of her hand deftly before popping the treat in his mouth, “But they taste so good! And you’re not going to ask about kwamis?”

Again he watched as Marinette’s eyes darted around the room nervously before settling on his own once again, “I didn’t want to ask for more information then you’re willing to give. These, um, kwamis sound important.”

He nodded at her with a small smile, “They are. Most people would be consumed with curiosity, you know, and wouldn’t be able to stop themselves from asking.”

The designer rolled her eyes before sitting next to him, “You know that I was only able to eat one croissant, right? You’re a pig!”

“And  _ you’re _ avoiding the subject,” he touched her nose playfully.

“Fine then! If you want to tell me so badly, what’s a kwami?”

“Well now I’m thinking about not telling you,” Chat smirked, “After all you don’t seem all that curious,” he shrugged.

“Chat,” Marinette’s eyes narrowed pointedly as her voice lowered.

“Alright! Alright!” the superhero laughed, “It’s a small creature that gives me my powers.”

“Oh really?” her head tilted to the side, “Interesting. So do you know about Ladybug’s kwami then?”

“No. We’ve never met,” he shook his head, “I wonder if her kwami is as stubborn as Plagg is?”

“Is he normally stubborn then?” Marinette snickered at him.

“Yes,” Chat rolled his eyes, “They’re not as meowvulous as you might think.”

“Well maybe you can ask Ladybug about her kwami tomorrow,” she suggested.

“I’m not certain she’d tell me,” Chat shook his head, “She rarely talks about personal things like that.”

Marinette’s lips pursed, “Well it doesn’t hurt to ask. Quit pouting about it!”

“Hey! I thought you told me it was okay for me to be angry.”

“I said you could be angry, not bitter,” she rolled her eyes, “Those are two different emotions.”   


“Oh like you weren’t bitter when Adrien rejected you,” he remarked before wincing. Was that too insensitive?

Luckily she merely chuckled at him and shook her head, “See. Told you that you were being bitter.”

“I think you may be right about that,” Chat stood up and stretched, “I believe it may be time for me to go now though. Don’t want to miss my bedtime afur all,” he winked.

Marinette stood up with him and followed him over to the trapdoor, “I hope I managed to make you feel at least a little better than,” she smiled after he opened the hatch above him.

“Marinette you did more than just manage,” he beamed softly down at her, “It’s like you always know just what to say to make me feel better.”

She grinned as she looked down at the ground shyly, “Thank you. I just don’t want my favorite feline to feel down after all.”

He blew out a breath gently, “No, thank  _ you _ . I was having a hard time today after seeing Ladybug and you turned my whole day around.”

“Well, again if you ever need to talk to anyone, I’m right here,” Marinette smiled happily up at him, “It helps when I talk to you about Adrien and I hope it feels better whenever you talk about Ladybug with me.”

“It does. I can come over Monday after my talk with her tomorrow if you’d like.”   


“That’d be great!” Marinette smiled happily, “Goodnight!”

“Goodnight!” Chat nodded down at her before taking off into the night. His cheeks hurt from smiling so hard as he barely felt the cold air of the night. When he released his transformation, he flopped down onto his bed, only this time it was with a happy sigh.

“Feeling better, lover boy?” Plagg snickered above him.

“Shut up!” Adrien grouched as he threw a pillow at the small creature, “And yeah, you know, I am feeling better. Marinette is really nice!”

His kwami shook his head at him, “I just hope you realize before it’s too late.”

“I still don’t know what you mean by that, but even  _ you _ can’t ruin my good mood,” he said happily.

“Yeah, yeah, enjoy it right now while you still can,” Plagg rolled his eyes, “By the way did you figure out who Luka was yet?”

“Luka,” Adrien frowned, “Oh yeah! That’s right! We’re in that band together called um... Kitty Section!” he snapped his fingers in satisfaction.

“I think he and Marinette will do well together, don’t you?”

The model hesitated, “You’re probably right. She told Alya their first date went pretty good. But I mean, he is older than her and he doesn’t exactly seem like Marinette’s type...” his brow creased as the strange feeling in his stomach came back.  _ That was odd _ , Adrien thought,  _ Marinette was probably right about eating all those croissants _ .

“Not Marinette’s type?” Plagg snickered quietly as he watched Adrien’s face fall subtly, “And what is her type? Beautiful models and powerful superheroes?”

“Shut up, Plagg!” he hurled a pillow at the annoying kwami, “I’m only saying!”

“Mhm, I’m sure you’re right. Anyways, all this talk about love is making me hungry. Where’s the camembert?”

“You only love with your stomach, Plagg,” Adrien muttered as he got up from the bed to get the treat for the small cat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmmm... What's this? A weird feeling in your stomach, Adrien? Yeahhhhh, I'm sure it's just the croissants... Keep telling yourself that and maybe you'll believe it ;). Anywho, lemme know if you guys enjoyed this chapter :D! Comments and kudos are my favorite :D :D <3


	7. Late Night Talks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finally back with Chapter 7 of Dreaming in Black and White! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! How has your July been going? I've been enjoying it :). We're 10 days away from my birthday which seems crazyyyy!! Lemme know what you guys think of this chapter! Comments and kudos are lifeeeee

Marinette yawned loudly, her arms stretching over her head as she blinked her eyes open blearily. Her gaze flickered over to the alarm clock to check the time before she groaned in annoyance and flipped the covers back over her head. “It’s too early,” the young designer muttered. She scrunched her eyes closed in an attempt to slip back into the warm comfort of sleep. 

A happy, tinkling voice chirped cheerfully at her, “Good morning, Marinette!”

“No, Tikki,” she moaned, “Five more minutes!”

“Marinette, it’s almost noon, and you’ve barely started your homework!” Tikki chastised.

Marinette grumbled at her, flipping the covers off her head to reveal the messy-haired, tired, teen, “I’m tired! It’s not my fault that pesky Tomcat keeps coming to visit!”

“Don’t be silly now,” the kwami giggled, “You know you enjoy his visits as much as he does.”

Marinette rolled her eyes before glaring at Tikki as she shuffled her way out of bed. A deep sigh emanated from her chest while she brushed her hair back into its usual pigtails. She searched her face for any hint of color before giving up and grabbing some clothes from her wardrobe. Her small kwami flitted her way into the girl’s purse before Marinette opened up her trapdoor. Trudging her way downstairs, she was greeted by the sight of her mother humming as she carefully poured ingredients into a bowl.

“Oh good, you’re awake,” Sabine’s head perked up and smiled at her daughter’s arrival, “We could really use your help down in the bakery today if you’re able.”

Shaking off the last vestiges of sleepiness, Marinette grinned softly back, “Of course, Maman,” she kissed her cheek before ducking into their bathroom to get changed.

As she finished settling the purse on her hip, Tikki’s voice chimed from within, “Do you know what you’re going to say to Chat Noir today?”

A brief flash of anger appeared across Marinette’s face as she recalled his unwillingness to help her in the latest akuma attack before she blew out a breath. “Honestly, not really,” she nibbled on her lip, “I just know that we need to sort this out. He can’t stay mad at me forever.”  _ If I can just tell him the reason as to why I rejected him, I’m certain we can work this out, _ she thought to herself with a firm nod.

“Alright,” the kwami nodded, “Just keep in mind, Marinette, you can’t work without Chat Noir and he can’t work without you.”

“I know, Tikki. I know,” the fashion designer said softly as she pushed the door to the bathroom open. 

She kissed her mother’s cheek goodbye before quickly making her way downstairs to the bakery. Marinette smiled gently at the sight that awaited her. Her father was rushing around, covered in flour, as he mixed things together. He smiled at her in relief when he finally saw her, “Marinette! Thank goodness you’re here! I’m in dire need of your help! Think you could man the front counter while I bake things in here?”

“Will do, Papa,” she giggled at him, “Just shout if you ever need me in here.”

“Thanks again, Marinette,” he shouted after her retreating figure.

Time passed quickly as Marinette ran back and forth passing out pastries and other delicious treats to hungry customers. Soon, the crowds died down and she began to have more free time to herself. The young girl washed tables and counters down as she hummed quietly to herself. 

A soft chime sounded from the door and she quickly abandoned the latest table she was washing and returned to the front counter with a wide smile, “Welcome to the Dupain-Cheng bakery! What can I get you?” Marinette said before blinking at the customer in front of her. Adrien stood before her, smiling shyly with his hand raised in a silent greeting.

“Hi, Mari,” he said quietly.

“Oh, hi, Adrien. Did you get out of your photoshoot early today?” she asked politely.  _ That was weird, _ she thought to herself,  _ I’m still getting butterflies but I’m not stuttering anymore. I also don’t feel as angry as I did before. Maybe seeing him as Ladybug helped me get some of that aggression out.  _ Marinette snickered to herself before paying attention to the model in front of her.

“Yeah, I did,” Adrien said with a crooked smile, “I hope you don’t mind me coming here, but I was really hungry and you have some of the best pastries in town.”

“That is true so I can’t really blame you,” she giggled, “What would you like today?”

His hand ran through his hair as he leaned forward to look at the menu and Marinette’s eyes followed the movement.  _ Damn, I still want to run my fingers through his hair,  _ she chastised herself. Shaking off the disturbing feelings, she tore her eyes away from his head and brought her gaze back to his eyes. Thankful that he didn’t seem to notice her moment of weakness, she blew out a breath of relief. 

“Could I have one croissant, please?” his voice broke through her musings.

“Sure thing,” she beamed before winking, “Now how did I know you were going to ask for that?” Marinette laughed before ducking down to grab one of the treats.  _ Hah, great job! Keep this up and you’ll be over him in no time!  _ She proudly thought to herself.

With her head down and subsequent praises, she missed Adrien’s faint blush. “I don’t know,” he murmured, “Must be predictable I guess.”

“Or I just know you too well,” Marinette popped back up with a croissant in hand, “Would you like this in a bag or are you okay without?”

“No, that’s alright. I don’t need a bag,” Adrien said before reaching out to take the pastry from her, his hand brushing hers lightly.

 She glared subtly as her hand tingled from their contact before she looked back at the model in front of her, “Have a great day, Adrien!”

“You too, Mari,” he said before hesitating.

“Did you need anything else?” Marinette asked curiously as her eyebrow rose.

“No, no. Thank you again, Marinette!” Adrien shook his head before turning to go. He paused at the door, however, and looked back at her nervously, “We’re alright, aren’t we?”

She melted slightly at his quiet words and shot him a soft look, “Yes, Adrien, we’re alright. We’re friends, after all!”

“Right, right,” he nodded before running a hand through his hair anxiously, “It’s just on Friday you said you didn’t want to talk to me and I didn’t know where that left us.”

Marinette winced slightly, recalling her harsh words from before, “I’m sorry, Adrien. I was still hurting. I didn’t mean to make you think that I didn’t want to talk to you. I’m working through it though, promise,” Her mind drifted to a certain superhero as she thought back on their midnight discussions.

“Great, thanks again Marinette!” he smiled happily at her, “You’re amazing! I’ll see you in class tomorrow.”

“You’re welcome, Adrien! See you tomorrow!” she waved goodbye as he disappeared out the door and walked back into the limo that awaited him.

The rest of her day passed quickly and uneventfully as she helped customers get the dessert of their choice. Finally, her father came to the front and told her she could go back upstairs and relax. Marinette beamed at him, giving him a light kiss on the cheek before she ran back to her bedroom. She collapsed on her chaise with a happy sigh. 

Tikki flew out from her purse, giggling happily at the girl, “I’m very proud of you, Marinette! You were able to talk to Adrien without stuttering and didn’t seem angry at all!”

“You’re right, Tikki,” Marinette turned to face the small kwami, “I didn’t get the same fluttering in my stomach that I usually associate with Adrien and I honestly didn’t feel angry at all! I think it’s working! I think I am  _ actually _ getting over him!” 

“Good for you!” she beamed at the young girl, “Though I do think it’s time for some homework. You and Chat Noir should be meeting up soon.”

“Ugh!” the designer rolled her eyes, “Why do you have to remind me?! Can’t I have a ten minute break? I just worked for  _ hours _ .”

“Alright,” Tikki laughed, “Just don’t forget. You don’t want to be late for school because you stayed up all night finishing your work.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Marinette waved her words away, “As though I won’t be late for school anyway!” she winked at the small bug before booting up her computer. Loading up  _ Ultimate Mecha Strike III _ , she played her favorite game for a while. Suddenly, she was hit with inspiration and reached for her design book, pausing her latest fight. Her tongue stuck out in concentration as she sketched a new design. She was so lost in her work that she didn’t notice Tikki come closer to her.

“What are you working on, Marinette?” she asked, startling the girl.

She jumped with a short shriek before turning to her kwami with a sheepish expression, “Sorry, Tikki. I didn’t notice you come up behind me.”

“It’s alright,” the tiny bug giggled, “I just wanted to know what you were working on.”

“A new dress!” Marinette said proudly, showing her the design, “Do you like it?”

“It’s beautiful, Marinette,” Tikki said before turning to her with a pointed look, “Don’t you think it’s been a little longer than ten minutes, though?”

“Augh!” she screeched as her eyes glanced over at the time, “You’re right! You’re  _ so _ right! Why do I do this to myself!?”

Tikki smiled softly, “You’re adorable but terrible with time management.”

Her lips pursed in annoyance, “Yep, that’s definitely me,” she blew out a harsh breath, “Good thing I have you to keep me on track though.”

“I know, right?” the small bug giggled mischievously, “You’d be lost without me.”

Marinette fondly rolled her eyes before pulling up her half-done English essay. Her fingers flew over her keyboard as words and ideas poured out onto the screen. She smiled happily when she had finally finished. Her eyes quickly scanned over the entirety of what she had written before she printed out the final document. 

“Done!” she cheered in victory before she looked at the clock on her computer once again, “Now I think it’s time to see if Chat Noir is up and about. Tikki, spots on!” Marinette called on her transformation as the magic rushed through her system. 

With the new burst of energy, she jumped out of the trapdoor and arrived on her balcony. A quick flick of her yo-yo later and she was off into the crisp night air. Scanning the city, Ladybug finally noticed the superhero pacing at the top of the Eiffel Tower. Swinging her way over to him, she landed softly behind him. As though he didn’t hear her, Chat continued his short walks and muttered quietly to himself.

Though Ladybug strained to hear what he was saying, she was unable to. Shaking off her anxious feelings, she started hesitantly, “Chat?”

He stopped pacing and turned to her tensely, “Ladybug,” he gave her a sharp nod.

“Are you alright?” the superheroine asked in concern.

“Just fine,” Chat muttered.

Ladybug rolled her eyes, “Chat, we aren’t getting over this if you can barely talk to me!”

“Well, what do you want me to say?! You broke my heart two nights ago but I’ll get over it. Sorry for bothering you with my  _ feelings _ , Ladybug!” he snapped at her angrily, tail swishing behind him agitatedly.

Her lips pursed in annoyance before she took a deep breath.  _ Seems I’m going to have to be the bigger person in this situation,  _ Ladybug thought to herself as she tried to let go of her own anger. “No,” she said calmly, “I just want you to talk to me civilly so we can work our way through this.”

“Alright,” Chat laughed bitterly, spreading his arms wide, “Go ahead and explain to me why you just took off on Friday.”

Shoving down the twinge of exasperation, she again took in a deep breath, “The reason I left you was because I recently had my own heart broken.” Her heart swelled with emotion and she sat down, her legs swinging slightly over the side of the tall tower. She glanced over at him before flicking her eyes quickly back to the city, “I looked at you and all I could see was  _ him _ . I-I got scared so I left. I’m really sorry, Chat,” her eyes fluttered closed.

“ _ What? _ ” he breathed out, “I’m so sorry, Ladybug! I honestly had no idea!” he sat down next to her, grasping one of her hands tightly.

“It’s alright, Chat,” Ladybug turned to him and squeezed his hand lightly, “I know you didn’t know.  _ I’m _ sorry for not handling it better. I should have at least explained to you but I just...” she cut herself off and chewed on her cheek nervously.

“You panicked,” Chat said sadly, “God, and here I am shouting at you when you’re heartbroken! I didn’t mean to make things harder on you, Ladybug! I was just angry and bitter. I should have waited for you to explain!”

“Like I said, it’s alright Chaton,” she smiled, “If we’re being honest I acted harshly with the guy who rejected me as well. So I really can’t blame you.” Her thoughts again drifted to when she allowed herself to treat Adrien coldly as Ladybug. She snickered lightly before she looked at her partner.

“Still, I have  _ no _ excuse for how I treated you,” he shook his head, “Can you ever forgive me, LB?” Chat looked at her with regretful eyes.

“You’re already forgiven, mon Chaton,” Ladybug’s arms flung around him as she squeezed him tightly. She leaned back and looked at him seriously after a few minutes, “As long as you can handle fighting akumas with me again.”

“Of course, of course!” his head nodded furiously before wrapping her up in another hug.

She laughed before leaning back once again, “Am I forgiven as well?”

“There’s nothing to forgive!” Chat said eagerly, “So, can you tell me who this boy is!? He deserves to be taught a lesson.”

Ladybug giggled as she imagined Adrien and Chat fighting because of her. She shook her head though, “No, no. It’s not his fault either. There was just another woman he was in love with. Besides, I’m pretty certain you’d do more than just teach him a lesson if I told you his name,” she glanced at him slyly.

“You’re probably right,” he chuckled dryly, “Still, I can’t believe he rejected  _ you _ ! What kind of an idiot would do that when you’re one of the bravest, smartest, kindest people out there!”

She blushed lightly at his compliment before shaking her head, “Thank you, Chaton but he’s really not an idiot. He only sees me as a friend and I’m okay with that,” she sucked in a deep breath, missing the curious look he sent her way. 

“Sorry, My Lady, but any man who rejects you is an idiot. No doubt in my mind about that,” Chat winked at her before turning serious, “But if you ever need to talk about anything just remember I’m a phone call away. I’m here for you, Ladybug.”

Ladybug’s lips twitched in amusement.  _ You’re already helping me work through this, Chat, you just don’t know it yet.  _ “It’s alright. If we’re being honest I’m already making progress,” her chest puffed out proudly, “Today was the first day in a while that I talked to him without stuttering.”

“Stuttering?” he asked curiously.

“Yeah,” she giggled sheepishly, “I usually turn into a stammering, stumbling mess when he so much as looks at me.”

“Really,  _ you _ ?” Chat’s eyes widened, “You’ve always seemed so confident, though.”

“Not around him,” Ladybug shook her head fondly, “But like I said, I’m getting better.”

Her partner looked at her in awe for a moment before he stood up, extending a hand out to her, “Well, I hope you don’t mind me cutting this evening short but I have to head back home. I still have homework I have yet to do,” he glanced away from her in annoyance.

“That’s alright,” she took his hand gratefully as she jumped up, “The only reason I finished my English essay before our meeting was because my kwami reminded me.”

“Wow, your kwami sounds amazing. I don’t think mine even knows what homework is,” Chat rolled his eyes, “He just moans about cheese all the time.”

“Oh yeah?” Ladybug giggled, “Cheese, he sounds like a real piece of work.”

The superhero paused, staring at her with wide eyes, “D-Did you just make a pun?! About cheese?!”

“I camembeartly believe it!” she said mischievously.

“Stop!” Chat laughed, “Normally I’d think this would be a cause for celebration but did it have to be about cheese?!”

“Oh cheese, you know you love this!”

“You already used that one,” he pointed out.

“Well, that’s just grate!”

“I finally get her to use puns and of course they just have to be about cheese,” he muttered to himself.

“You know, I gouda get used to this,” Ladybug winked at him.

“Please, please go back to your pun-hating self! I’ll do anything!” Chat pleaded.

“Alright, alright, I’ll stop!” she giggled, “Now you know how it feels, Chat!”

“I understand your pain now,” he said solemnly.

“That you do, that you do,” Ladybug said before waving goodbye, “Thanks for meeting with me, Chaton. I’ll see you soon, alright.”

“Thank  _ you _ for explaining everything to me, LB. I’m sorry for being so foolish,” Chat said, his ears drooping slightly.

“Like I said before, you’re already forgiven, Chat,” she smiled softly at him before wrapping her yo-yo around a chimney and swung away from him.

“How do you not love that girl?” the superhero whispered to himself. He shook his head and then took off into the night, heading back to his bedroom at home to begin working on his own English essay.

Marinette quickly landed on her bed as she detransformed, bouncing slightly on the soft material. She let out a happy sigh as she sunk deeper into the warm covers.

“Nice job, Marinette!” Tikki flitted above her head, “You did very well today! I’m certain you and Chat Noir will be able to fight akumas together once again!”

“I think so too, Tikki,” she said happily.

Her kwami gave a little nod, “And don’t forget you and Adrien are friends again!”

“Yeah, we are,” Marinette beamed, “And I’m going to keep it that way! I promise that I won’t let my feelings get in the way of our friendship again!”

“Good for you,” Tikki hugged the side of her cheek, “You really are amazing, Marinette.”

The girl’s hand came up to cup the tiny creature, smiling shyly at her, “Thank you so much, Tikki. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m going to change into my pajamas and go to bed. I don’t have to write an English essay after all!”

Tikki giggled, “And aren’t you glad that you already wrote it?”

“You bet I am,” Marinette said as she climbed down her ladder, “Poor Chat. I hope he manages to get his homework done on time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cause we alll know Ladybug has a secret fondness of puns lolololol!! But our babies are getting better! They're working through some things :D!! Get ready for some more Adrienette in the next chapter haha ;).


	8. Group Projects

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew I finally finished Chapter 8! I'm sorry it took sooo long guys but I got realllly busy over the summer! I hope this chapter makes up for it though <3! I promise to be quicker when posting new chapters for this story though! I shouldn't be as busy now since I have my Tuesdays and Thursdays off at school! Though I think Adrien may be catching something? Hmm, hope it's nothing tooooo serious hehee. Anywho, lemme know what you think! Comments and kudos are my everything :D!

“Adrien! Your presence is required in the dining room for breakfast!” Natalie’s voice called out to him. Three rapid knocks quickly followed her sharp voice from behind his closed bedroom door. 

Adrien’s eyes shot open before he blearily blinked in the direction of the voice, “Yeah, coming!” he yawned, stretching as he glanced at the time. 5:30 blinked at him in glowing white lights and he groaned. Thrusting a pillow over his head, he muttered, “Would it kill my father to wake me up at a reasonable time?!”

“Would it kill  _ you _ to be quiet,” Plagg grumbled at him, “Some of us are still trying to get our beauty rest, you know.”

“Uh-huh,” Adrien said sarcastically, rolling his eyes at the kwami, “Think it might be a little late for that.”

“Hey!” Plagg shouted at his retreating figure.

Chuckling, Adrien walked into the bathroom. His hands quickly plucked up his toothbrush as he began going through the daily motions. Pretty soon he was shaking himself out of his Ladybug pajamas and pulling on his usual T-shirt, jacket, and jeans. Shooting a forlorn, almost longing look over at the discarded spotted pajamas he motioned for Plagg to duck into his pocket. Once the kwami had safely nuzzled into the model’s pocket, he trudged his way into the dining room. His eyes scanned the empty table, lingering slightly on his father’s seat which remained empty. Sighing, Adrien sat down, picking at his food as he realized once again that his father wouldn’t be joining him for breakfast. 

“Here’s your schedule for today, Adrien,” Nathalie suddenly appeared next to him, handing him a sheet of paper.

His eyes snapped to hers in surprise before his features relaxed and he took the paper, “Merci Nathalie,” the model murmured, his eyes scanning the scheduled slots before handing it back to her. 

The dark-haired assistant gave him a quick nod before gesturing outside, “Your driver is ready to leave when you are.”

Mumbling another quick thank you, he watched her disappear as quickly as she appeared. Her heels clicked noisily on the tiled floor as Adrien assumed she was heading back to his father. Turning back to his breakfast with a quiet sigh, Adrien quickly finished the remaining bites of his croissant and swallowed down his orange juice. 

Plagg wriggled out of his pocket and looked at him curiously as he stood up, “So any free time today?” Shaking his head briefly, Adrien’s lips twisted into a small, helpless, smile. His black kwami scoffed in annoyance, “They overwork you, kid. You really need to say something.”

“I don’t really mind,” the boy lifted one of his shoulders before his eyes brightened considerably, “Hey, Plagg, do you think if I get to school early, I might get to see Marinette before class?”

His pace quickened as he made his way into the entrance hall before the small, black cat cut him off, holding up a small paw to stop him, “Woah, woah. Hold on there lover boy. Marinette’s usually late, remember?”

“Oh, you’re right...” Adrien came to a halt, rubbing the back of his neck slightly before he shrugged, “Still it does give me an opportunity to talk to her if she is there. I can tell her that her croissant was amazing!”

He was just about to open the door when he paused suddenly once again, “Lover boy?! Plagg!! What in the world is that supposed to mean?!” 

His kwami merely chuckled lowly before ducking into the boy’s pocket to settle himself comfortably, “Whatever you think it does kid.” 

Adrien felt his cheeks warm as he glared down at his pocket. Grumbling to himself, he opened the door and quickly made his way into the limo. Nodding a hello to the Gorilla, he then turned to watch outside his window quietly. Trees, buildings, and grass all merged into one gray blob as a longing built up within him.

_ If only Ladybug didn’t ask out that stupid guy the night before I asked her out. She would’ve probably said yes to me and then we might  _ both _ be able to see color right now. Who in their right mind would be stupid enough to reject  _ Ladybug _?  _ Thoughts flitted their way through Adrien’s mind as they neared their way to school,  _ I still hope I’m able to see Marinette this morning. I’m hoping that if I thank her for the croissant yesterday I’ll be able to brighten both our moods.  _ With a final, determined nod, the young model decided that even if he didn’t see Marinette before school started, he’d find a way to thank her later. 

The limo slowly came to a stop and Adrien once again glanced out the window to see that they had finally arrived at school. Giving a thankful nod and a quiet murmur to his bodyguard he scanned the grounds for a certain girl. With a dejected quirk of his lips, he noticed that she wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Pushing off from the door, he headed to the entrance when his head seemed to be pulled in a certain direction. With wondrous luck, Marinette was standing a few feet away and seemed to be... waving at him?

Raising his hand back at her, Adrien waved back slowly. Her face split into a giant grin and she began walking towards him. His heartbeat quickened and he opened his mouth to say a quick hello, shifting his bag on his shoulder nervously, when she walked right past him. His cheeks flamed for the second time that day and he turned his head to watch her embrace Alya.

“Hey girl! You’re here on time for once!” The reporter cheered happily with a beaming smile.

“Yeah,” Marinette giggled, “I actually went to bed pretty early for once.”

“No new sewing projects then?” her best friend interloped their arms together, entering the school and sweeping past Adrien.

A somewhat forlorn sigh came out his mouth as he winced slightly.  _ That was embarrassing _ , he thought to himself. A low chuckle came out of his pocket as he entered the school and he glared at the small cat, hissing a quiet, “Shut up!” before walking into class. Sitting down in his usual seat, he set to work placing his books and folders on the table when he felt Nino sit down next to him.

“Hey bro! How was your weekend?” The DJ punched his shoulder lightly.

“It was good,” Adrien chuckled, “Busy as always though. How about you?”

“Very good,” Nino’s eyes drifted over to Alya who smiled cheekily at him and blew her boyfriend a quick kiss. 

He smiled wistfully at the two lovebirds who seemed lost in each other’s eyes before he was startled from his longing thoughts by the arrival of Mlle. Bustier. Adrien’s pen quickly scribbled down notes as he listened intently to the lectures that filled up most of his day. However, at the end of his last class, Mlle. Mendeleiev said she had an announcement.

“Now, due by the end of this month I have decided to create a final project that will take up around 30% of your final grade. Follow this for the complete instructions,” she handed around papers detailing the project, “You will be allowed to work with partners on this.”

A quiet murmur rose up in the class as people began talking to their friends to discuss the assignment. Adrien’s eyes slid nervously over to Chloé, who waved flirtily at him and winked once they locked eyes.

“However, I will be choosing your partners!” Mlle. Mendeleiev’s voice rose over the disruption and began listing off names. He breathed a sigh of relief as he realized this meant he most likely wouldn’t be with Chloé and listened for his name. “Adrien Agreste and Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” 

He swallowed quickly before he turned his head to look back at Marinette. She smiled nervously at him before giving him a quick wave. Adrien grinned back before quickly turning around as Chloé’s sharp voice rang out, “Mlle. Mendeleiev, don’t you think Adrien should be paired up with someone better? After all,  _ I _ live closer to Adrien than Dupain-Cheng does. Besides, it’s obvious I’d work with him better than she would.” The model’s eyes shot back towards Marinette who was scowling angrily at the mayor’s daughter. 

“I’m sorry Chloé but my decisions are final,” their teacher’s voice droned on in a tired manner.

Adrien closed his eyes in relief just as the final bell rang, signaling the end of class. Chloé stomped off in a huff, dragging Sabrina along with her as she shot the teacher an angry glare. Shuffling all his books and papers into his backpack he felt Nino nudge him, “Bet you’re glad you got paired with Marinette and not Chloé, right?”

The model chuckled, “Well, at least it won’t just be me doing  _ all _ of the work this time.”

His best friend nodded, walking out of the classroom as Adrien slung his backpack over his shoulder and turned around to discuss the project with Marinette. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion when he noticed that the girl was absent from her seat. Adrien walked into the hallway, looking around for the young fashion designer who had disappeared so suddenly. He finally spotted her near the entrance of the school and began making his way over to her when he realized she was talking to someone.

“I just wanted to check to make certain you were okay after that akuma attack,” Luka’s voice sounded through the halls in a gentle, warm manner.

“Yeah I am,” Marinette said shyly, “Ladybug and Chat Noir saved the day. How were you though? I know you got hit by one of Lady Spectacle’s blasts.”

The guitarist chuckled, “I’m fine, Marinette. After all Ladybug and Chat Noir saved the day just like you said.”

Her breath blew out in a relieved sigh, “Well that’s good to know. I was really worried about you. I didn’t see you after the battle.”

“The only thing I was disappointed about was that it cut our date short,” Luka’s hand brushed a piece of her hair back into a pigtail, “Actually I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”

With a tightening feeling in his stomach, Adrien quickly made his way over to stand next to Marinette, slinging an arm over her shoulder. The girl blinked up at him in confusion though he stared at Luka with a small smile on his lips, “Hey Luka, I haven’t seen you for a while. Sorry about that, my dad’s been sort of keeping me away from Kitty Section.”

“It’s alright, Adrien. Don’t worry about it. Juleka’s told me how busy your dad keeps you,” the musician gave him a simple, crooked grin.

With a nod to the older boy, Adrien focused his attention back on Marinette, “I didn’t see you after class, Mari. I was hoping we could discuss the project.”

She continued to peer up at him for a while before shaking herself slightly, “Oh, right, sorry. Alya dragged me out pretty quickly.”

“You two have a project together?” Luka interjected, glancing at the two of them curiously.

Marinette nodded, “Yep, it’s for science and it’s worth about 30% of our grade,” she scrunched up her nose cutely and stuck out her tongue in disgust.

“Gross,” he wrinkled his nose back at her before they laughed together, “Alright well I have to get going now. Juleka’s probably wondering where I am by now. I’m glad you’re okay, Marinette.” 

The fashion designer frowned as the older boy turned away, rushing forward and removing Adrien’s arm from around her shoulders as she tugged on Luka’s sleeve, “Didn’t you have something you wanted to ask me?” her head tilted curiously.

The musician hesitated as his eyes slid over to the model. He brought his gaze back to Marinette as he smiled gently, “I do, but I think I’ll ask you when I see you again. After all, it gives me another excuse to see you,” Luka chuckled warmly before leaning down and brushing a kiss against Marinette’s cheek, “See you, Marinette.”

Adrien’s eyebrows furrowed and his shoulders tensed as he listened to their conversation. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he didn’t want Luka to ask Marinette whatever it was he was going to ask. When the fashion designer finally turned back to him, he eased his expression back into a friendly smile.

“Sorry Adrien,” she tapped her two fingers together, “I know you have a busy schedule and just wanted to find a time where we could meet up, right?”

“Yeah,” he rubbed the back of his neck nervously, “You know that I’m sorry too, right, Marinette.”

“Oh of course, Adrien!” she hurried to reassure him, “It’s not your fault!”

“Right,” he chuckled shakily, “I mean you know first hand how long some of my photoshoots can be.”

Marinette nodded, a sad frown creasing her forehead, “Well you’re always welcome at my house. Especially if you’re looking to buy a croissant,” she giggled adorably.

“I forgot to thank you for the croissant from yesterday, by the way,” he laughed, “It was the best one I ever had just to let you know,” Adrien winked at her happily.

“R-right, I-I’m glad you liked it,” she stuttered.

He looked at her curiously for a moment before his voice lowered into a more serious tone, “Hey, you’re alright with this, right?”

“Alright with what?” Marinette frowned as the mood changed quickly.

“With being my partner for this project,” he gestured between them, “Because I can always ask Mlle. Mendeleiev to switch us if you aren’t.”

The fashion designer snorted, “Yeah since that went  _ so _ well when Chloé asked,” her pigtails bounced slightly as she shook her head, “But to answer your question, yes Adrien, I am fine with this,” she gestured between the two of them teasingly with a light giggle. 

Adrien blew out a breath of relief, “Good.”

“Now, to discuss the actual project, do you think you’re free tomorrow to meet up and work on it?”

“Probably,” he nodded, “But I’ll have to ask my dad.”

“Alright,” Marinette smiled brightly, “Well let me know if he gives his approval. I’ve got to go now though, Adrien,” she waved, “See you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow,” he waved after her happily, a light feeling settling into his chest as she walked out the doors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wonder what's happening with Adrien and Luka in this chapter? Huh, I guess only time will tell. Leave a comment and/or kudos below to lemme know what you thought <3 <3


	9. Gossip and House Meetings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back with Chapter 9 of Dreaming in Black and White! More Adrienette in this chapter <3, but look forward to some Marichat next chapter! I hope you guys enjoy this anyways though! Lemme know what you think with a comment or kudos pleaseeee

Marinette had a very hectic start to her morning. Unlike yesterday, where she surprisingly woke up on time for school, today she slept straight through her alarm. This led to her small kwami shouting in her ear, as her usual small, playful nudges hadn’t worked. Thus, Marinette’s eyes popped open due to the ringing in her ears and skirted straight to the alarm clock. The glowing, white light screamed that she was already five minutes late for class and with a strangled yelp, the fashion designer threw herself out of bed.

“I’m late! I’m so so late!” Marinette whined as the mattress tangled itself around her legs as she flopped in an ungraceful heap to the ground. Blowing a strand of hair out of her face, she grumbled quietly to herself, “You’d think a superhero would have more finesse than this!”

As the small girl shoved herself back up, Tikki giggled cheekily at her, “Yes, but you’re not exactly a superhero right now, are you Marinette?”

“No, I suppose not,” the fashion designer chuckled, “Think Ladybug would be able to do this faster?”

“Almost certainly,” her kwami winked at her, “But unfortunately Marinette, you’re not allowed to use Ladybug for situations like this.”

With a loud sigh Marinette turned to her closet and grabbed her usual clothes, “Still very tempting though,” she shot Tikki a cheeky smile before rushing downstairs after changing. Rolling her eyes, the small bug zipped after her, phasing through the girl’s purse. Kissing her parents goodbye, she grabbed a macaroon before dashing out into the Parisian streets. 

Finally bursting into her classroom with a loud pant, Marinette apologized profusely to her history teacher. With a sheepish grimace, she took her usual seat next to Alya and watched in horror as her teacher began passing out a pop quiz. Tapping her pencil rapidly on her desk, Marinette attempted to recall any of the information she had skimmed last night. Chewing her lip nervously, she soon turned her quiz in, hoping her answers were correct. 

When it was finally lunchtime, Marinette yanked Alya outside, “Woah, calm girl! You look super stressed! What’s up?”

“Oh, Alya,” the fashion designer moaned, dropping her head onto the other girl’s shoulder, “I got almost no sleep last night and I’m pretty sure I did not do well on that quiz.”

The blogger winced, “Ouch, I’m sorry, Mari. If you want to study with me, just let me know. Though I’m sure Luka would be willing to give you a few lessons,” she nudged her, a sly smirk forming on her face.

“ _ Alya _ !” Marinette whined, her face growing flush.

“Hah! Made you blush!” her best friend teased before her face grew more serious, “But you know that’s true, right? That boy is  _ smitten _ .” 

Marinette felt her face grow even warmer before a small tap came from behind her shoulder. She yelped, whirling around to see a shocked Adrien staring back at her. 

His face soon relaxed into a gentle smile as he apologized, “Sorry, Marinette. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“Yeah, yeah. Sure you didn’t, golden boy,” Alya stepped forward, her eyes narrowing in on the model in front of her.

Adrien blinked at the junior reporter before his gaze landed back on Marinette, “Well I’m sorry again, but I honestly just wanted to let you know that I can come over to work on the project.”

“That’s great, Adrien! I’ll see you after class then!” Marinette smiled brightly, waving cheerfully at him. He hesitated, his eyes glancing over at Alya before flicking back to her.  _ I swear to God, Adrien, if you ask me if I’m alright being near you one more time, I’m literally gonna throttle you,  _ she thought to herself angrily as her fists clenched briefly.

Before she could do anything stupid like punch him, Alya thankfully stepped in, raising one eyebrow at the boy curiously, “Need anything else, Adrien?”

The model hesitated once again before lifting a hand up to wave at the both of them, “No, sorry. Bye, Alya, bye, Mari!”

Her best friend watched him go with a look of slight confusion, “Oh my god, girl! What did you do to Adrien?”

“Huh?!” Marinette quickly whirled around from watching Adrien to face Alya with alarm, “W-what do you mean!?”

“That boy is absolutely infatuated with you! Did you see the way he looked at you?! It was like he barely even acknowledged my existence.”

“What?!” she screeched, her cheeks warming as she tugged on her pigtails, causing Alya to laugh, “Don’t be crazy, Alya! Adrien rejected me, remember?! Obviously he’s not in love with me!”

“Uh-huh, try telling that to  _ him _ . I’m telling you that boy is in  _ love _ ,” the interviewer tsked slightly before shaking her head, “Poor Luka.”

Marinette’s lips tightened into a fine line, “Please stop, Alya! You know I’m still trying to get over him and this seriously isn’t helping!” she huffed before storming off to the bakery for lunch.

“Alright, alright,” Alya chuckled, quickening her steps to catch up with the girl, “All I’m saying is that Adrien might not want you to do that.” 

“One more word out of you, Alya, and I swear you won’t be getting any free pastries for lunch!” Marinette spun around, jabbing a finger at the other girl’s chest.

“Just let me know how the study date goes?” Alya asked hopefully, to which she received a fierce glare, “Fine, fine! My lips are sealed!” she mimed zipping her lips closed and threw away the key.

As the two girls neared the bakery, Marinette nibbled on her lower lip in thought, “Though you are right. Adrien has been acting differently. I swear it’s like he’s been actively seeking me out. I’m pretty certain it’s to make sure we’re still ‘friends’ though.”

Her best friend chuckled, “Well I would respond but somebody told me to keep my mouth shut.”

She rolled her eyes playfully, “Fine. I give you permission to speak now.”

Alya shrugged, “Can’t. I threw away the key, remember.”

Marinette groaned before whining, “Ugh, Alya,  _ please _ .”

“Well, to be completely honest with you Mari, I think being ‘just friends’ is the last thing on that boy’s mind. Whether he knows it or not.” 

The fashion designer sighed as she opened the bakery door, “But that doesn’t make any sense. If he actually wanted to be more than friends he had the perfect opportunity last week when I asked him out. Besides he told me then that he was in love with someone else,” Marinette shrugged.

“Maybe that’s changed then,” Alya said before ducking into the bakery.

A brief smile flickered across her face before she shook her head furiously.  _ No _ , she scolded herself in her head,  _ I won’t let you go thinking that Adrien’s in love with you when he’s made it very clear he’s not. We’re getting over him one way or another!  _

“Hi, Maman! Hi, Papa!” Marinette waved cheerfully, an actual smile forming on her face as she followed after Alya. Her smile grew as they beamed back at her from behind the counter.

“Hello girls!” Sabine chirped, “The usual?”

“Yes please, Mme. Cheng. Thank you!” her best friend said happily.

Within a few moments, they both had a plate filled with hot chocolate croissants and macarons. With a quick kiss to her parents’ cheeks, Marinette thanked them profusely before leading Alya upstairs. Once seated at the desk in her bedroom, she began chomping on one of her chocolate croissants as her thoughts drifted back to her last conversation with Luka, “You know, Adrien was kinda weird around Luka, too.”

“Ooh, Adrien and Luka had a stand-off and you didn’t tell me?! Spill, please!” Alya leaned her head on her fist as she stared at Marinette eagerly. 

“It wasn’t a stand-off,” she giggled before taking a deep breath as she thought back to yesterday, “I just thought it was kinda weird that he came over and put his arm around my shoulders when he’s never done that before,” Marinette shrugged. Her best friend began cackling, dropping her half-finished croissant back onto the plate as she wrapped her arms around her sides. “What?” The designer’s eyes widened, “What’s so funny?!”

“That boy has the absolute worst timing,” Alya finally caught her breath, wiping a tear from her eye, “That’s  _ textbook _ jealousy, Mari. Seriously, either Adrien’s just realized he’s in love with you or he’s in denial and honestly hasn’t realized it.”

Marinette’s lips twisted to the side in annoyance, “Don’t be silly, Alya. Seriously, I need you to stop giving me hope. I really am trying my hardest to get over him! Besides, I already told you he _literally_ said he was in love with someone else!”

“I only hope Adrien realizes soon,” the reporter murmured quietly.

“ _ Anyways _ ,” the designer said in an attempt to change the conversation, “I think it’s time for us to head back,” she picked up Alya’s plate which still held two light grey macarons.

“Hey!” the girl screeched, “I’m not finished yet!”

“You shouldn’t have kept saying that Adrien has a crush on me then,” Marinette stuck her tongue out playfully.

“ _ Please _ , Mari!” Alya whined.

“Ugh, fine. But only because you’re my best friend,” she rolled her eyes as she handed Alya the macaron.

“Yay!” the reporter cheered, “You’re the bestest best friend in the world!”

“Only because I supply you with treats,” Marinette quipped as she walked down the stairs after Alya had finished.

“Aw, come on, you know I  _ love _ you!”

The designer giggled as she dumped the plate into the dishwasher, “I’m  _ so _ not ready for science class. I hope Mlle. Mendeleiev is in a good mood today!”

Alya rolled her eyes, “Is she ever in a good mood?” Marinette laughed happily as they exited the bakery. Waving a quick goodbye to her parents, they began the short trek back to school.

When they finally arrived in the classroom they both whispered and giggled together for a few minutes until their teacher entered. “Can’t believe you’re actually on time for once,” Alya giggled quietly.

“Shut up,” she hissed playfully back, shoving her friend’s shoulder lightly, “I was on time yesterday, remember!”

With a teasing roll of her eyes, Alya turned her attention back to the front of the classroom as their teacher began writing on the board. Scribbling down notes, Marinette paid attention to the rest of her lectures for the day, occasionally getting sidetracked by a new idea for a dress that she just had to sketch. Finishing the mini belt for her new dress, she was interrupted by the sound of the bell. With a sigh of relief, Marinette began packing her bag. Her thoughts strayed to fabric and buying the new material as she patted her purse carefully to make certain Tikki was alright. Making her way outside, she waved a cheerful goodbye to Alya before the two parted ways to go to their separate houses. She paused, however, when she heard a voice calling out her name. Clenching her eyes shut for a brief moment, Marinette quickly opened them and turned back to face Adrien who was running towards her. 

“Did you need me for something, Adrien?” she asked him with a bright smile.

His gaze darted away from hers as his hand reached up to scratch the back of his neck awkwardly, “Weren’t we meeting up to start the project today?”

Marinette blinked owlishly for a moment. Her?! Forgetting plans with Adrien?! What was going on today? “I-I’m so sorry Adrien! It completely slipped my mind! Of course you can come over!”

“It’s alright,” he smiled crookedly at her before gesturing to his limo with a low bow, “Our ride awaits.”

Her brow furrowed for a moment as she was struck with a rising sense of familiarity. Shaking the odd feeling off, she grinned at the boy in front of her, “Why thank you, kind gentleman,” Marinette giggled as she slid across the seat.

Adrien chuckled, following after her. His knee brushed lightly against her own, sending a small wave of heat up her leg as he turned to face her. Cursing her body for its reaction, she also turned to look at the model as he spoke to her, “So how was your day today?”

Marinette blew out a puff of breath, “Not so great. I didn’t get much sleep last night because I’ve been working on a commission. So I didn’t study as much for the quiz as I should have. How was yours?”

“Mine was good but exhausting. I had to wake up pretty early for a fashion shoot today,” he bumped his knee against hers comfortingly as he smiled, “But I’m sure you did well on that quiz, Marinette. You’re amazing and always get one of the highest grades in the class.”

“T-thank you,” she stuttered as her cheeks burned, “I’m glad you have more faith in me than I do,” Marinette gave him a small grin. _ Curse him and his stupid, charming personality _ , she thought to herself bitterly,  _ he makes it so hard to get over him _ .

The limo came to a slow stop and Adrien’s eyes brightened, “We’re here!” he chirped, opening the door and racing into the bakery. 

Marinette giggled as she followed after the boy, noticing him giving a polite smile and wave to her parents as he stood by the cash register. “Hello, Maman! Hello, Papa!” she greeted cheerfully with a happy wave. They beamed back at her before looking to Adrien as he placed his order. Turning to the model she leaned in to whisper teasingly in his ear, “Did you only want to work at my house because you wanted a pastry?”

“I, um, no?” he gave her an anxious grin as he waited for his croissant.

“Mhm sure,” she laughed at him.

Within a few moments, her mother was handing a warm croissant out to Adrien who thanked her graciously as he took a large bite out of the crispy treat. Digging into his pocket for some change, he was stopped by Sabine’s warm smile, “That’s quite alright, dear. It’s on the house,” she winked conspiratorially at Marinette, whispering rather loudly, “After all, a way to a man's heart is through his stomach.”

Marinette’s face dropped as she shook her head furiously at her mother, hissing out a low, “No!”

The designer's eyes quickly flicked to Adrien, who merely blinked for a few seconds before chuckling lightly, “Thank you, Mme. Cheng.”

“You’re welcome sweetheart,” Sabine’s smile softened, “And remember to not be shy! Marinette always looks forward to your visits,” she winked again at the girl whose eyes were narrowed sharply in frustration and embarrassment. 

With that last comment, Marinette grabbed Adrien’s arm who let out a quiet yelp, before yanking the boy away from the counter and her mother who just could  _ not _ seem to take a hint. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she sighed, “Thank you, Maman. I’m sure Adrien will enjoy his croissant but if you don’t mind, we'll be heading upstairs to work now,” blowing out an exasperated breath, she practically stomped up the stairs.

“Wow, Marinette, you’re really strong,” her eyes widened as she looked back at the boy behind her, who was rubbing his arm slightly.

Wincing, she nibbled on her lower lip, “I’m sorry, Adrien. I just didn’t realize she was going to say those things.” With a sharp tug on one of her pigtails, Marinette pushed open the trapdoor to her bedroom and tapped her fingers together anxiously as she waited for Adrien to follow after, “I’m really sorry again, Adrien. I haven’t told her yet about what happened so I don’t think she realizes. And really, I don’t want to make you uncomfortable or any-.” 

He stopped her rambling by placing both his hands gently on her shoulders, “It’s alright, Marinette. I really didn’t mind. Besides it’s not like she said anything too bad,” the model shot her a small, crooked smile.

“Oh,” she squeaked out, feeling a warm tingle race down her spine from the heat of his hands. Taking a small gulp of air, Marinette stepped out of his arms to clear her head, “Still, I hope you didn’t feel too awkward. She honestly doesn’t know I don’t have a crush on you anymore! I promise to tell her as soon as you leave!”

_ Yeah, right, Marinette, _ she thought to herself, sure  _ you don’t have a crush on him anymore. Keep telling yourself that and maybe it’ll actually be true. _

Adrien seemed to pause for a moment, searching her eyes for  _ something _ , before he relaxed again, “I’m fine, Mari. It didn’t bother me at all, besides,” he grinned widely at her before holding up his half-eaten croissant, “I got a free treat.”

Marinette giggled, “Please, you know you could afford that and then another hundred, rich boy.”

He laughed, and with that the tension in the room slowly disappeared, leaving her with a warm flutter in her stomach. Winking at her, Adrien plopped his backpack onto the ground, “Suppose we had better get started on our actual project.”

“Right,” she nodded before going over to the chest next to her chaise, “We can use this as a table if you’d like?”

“Fine with me,” he took a step towards her as Marinette lifted the trunk up, bringing it toward the center of the room, “Need any help with that?” he raised an eyebrow at her as she placed it carefully down on her carpet.

“Nope,” she smiled at him, giggling before sitting down and opening up her own backpack. Taking out her notebook and the instructions for the assignment, Marinette watched as Adrien sat down across from her. With a few light taps of her pencil to her chin, she nibbled her lip, “So do you have any ideas about what we should do?”

Shrugging, Adrien’s lips quirked up slightly as he ran a hand through his hair, “Honestly, not really. What about you?”

Feeling a tingling urge within her hands to reach over and fix the strands that were out of place, Marinette curled them tightly within her lap to quell the desire. Clearing her throat, she looked down at the guide, “Well it says here that we need to design an experiment. We could do something simple like what patterns of clothing do people enjoy the most. That way we incorporate my interest in designing and yours in modeling.”

“That could be good!” he said excitedly, “We can go around asking people whether they prefer stripes or polka-dots.”

She nodded and began writing down a list of patterns, “Right! And then we could ask them if they prefer it when the designs are bigger or smaller.”

“Yeah, definitely! We’re going to ace this project, Mari,” Adrien held up a hand while beaming at her.

Hesitantly, Marinette hi-fived the boy in front of her before quickly resuming her writing, “If you want to begin drafting our outline, I can start on the survey.”

“Alright,” he gave a quick nod before beginning to scribble notes down in his own notebook. 

The two worked in companionable silence for a while as the minutes ticked by. Unable to help herself, Marinette occasionally glanced up at the boy across from her as he worked. After her sixth peek up at the boy, she squeaked slightly when she noticed his tongue poked out at the corner of his lips. From there, her eyes were drawn to his adorable pout and it was all she could do not to lean over the table and connect their lips together. Her face warmed as her fists tightened, her nails biting into her palms.

_ Get a hold of yourself, Marinette, _ she berated herself in her head,  _ Adrien does  _ not  _ want to kiss you. So you  _ cannot _ go around kissing him!  _ After a few moments of scolding herself, their eyes connected and he beamed at her happily. Flicking her gaze back down to her a notebook, Marinette mentally sighed,  _ You  _ cannot _ kiss him! No matter how adorable he looks! _

Just as she finished writing up her survey, she was startled from the silence by a loud ding. She watched as Adrien grabbed his phone and scrolled through his texts, “Sorry, Marinette, but my driver’s here. Apparently my father needs me back for a photoshoot.”

“That’s alright,” she giggled, “I’ll see you at school tomorrow, right?” Marinette stood up as she watched him sling his backpack over his shoulder.

“Of course! I’ll be sure to print out the outline and ask my father if I can come over again after school if that’s fine with you?”

“Sure!” she smiled, “With the way we’re working right now, I’m certain we’ll get this assignment done in no time!”

“Great,” Adrien said happily before throwing his arms around her in a tight embrace. 

Marinette blinked widely before hugging him back, her eyes fluttering closed. The scent of his cologne brushed against her nose and she sighed dreamily before stepping out from his embrace. Opening up her trapdoor, she gestured him through with a smile. 

“Thank you,” he chuckled as he ducked down and headed towards the bakery. 

Following him, she stepped outside into the cool, autumnal afternoon. The wind brushed against her face, causing her hair to sway slightly as Adrien turned to face her. Tucking a stray strand back into her pigtails Marinette waved a happy goodbye, “It was really nice having you over, Adrien. Hopefully, you can come again tomorrow so we can finish the rough draft of our project.”

“I’ll have to ask my father, but I’m sure he’ll say yes since it’s schoolwork. But anyway, thank you for having me, Marinette,” his eyes crinkled as he smiled down at her. A honk coming from the limo broke their gazes as they watched the Gorilla narrow his eyes at them. 

“Oops,” she giggled, “Sorry for keeping you.”

“It’s fine,” Adrien waved it off as he shifted his bag higher up on his shoulder, “Goodbye again, Mari,” he shot her one last grin before ducking into the backseat of his limo. 

She watched him go with a fond smile before turning back inside to have a  _ long _ discussion with her parents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're such sweeties and I love them!! Startrain sent my Adrienette heart flyingggg! Honestly enjoyed Startrain more than Feast heehe. How did you guys feel? Lemme know by leaving a comment or kudos! They make my day! Thanks for reading!!


	10. Midnight Meetings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marichat time!! Yessss! I actually posted a chapter on time for once :O! Go me (hehe)! Anyways, I really enjoyed writing this chapter so I hope you guys enjoy reading it! Lemme know what you think <3? Leave a comment or kudos pleaseeeee

Adrien flopped face-first onto his mattress as he released a relieved sigh. He snuggled into his warm pillow, his eyes fluttering closed against the harsh light of his bedroom. 

“Long photoshoot?” Plagg snickered, floating out of the boy’s front pocket.

“Mhm,” he said tiredly, nuzzling his head further into the warmth of his pillow. Blinking his eyes open blearily, Adrien looked at his phone to check the time. Seeing that it was only 7:00 pm he groaned in frustration, “It’s too early to go to bed and I still have homework to do. How am I going to stay awake, Plagg?”

The kwami merely shrugged, “I could tell you but you’d have to get me some cheese first.”

Brushing a hand through his hair agitatedly, Adrien reluctantly got up from his cozy bed, tossing Plagg one of the cheeses he kept lying around. The black cat’s face immediately turned into a beaming smile as he ate the delicious treat in one bite. “I will never understand how you do that,” the model said with a disgusted expression, “Now will you tell me what I could do to stay awake?!”

“Two words for you,” Plagg’s face transformed into a mischievous smirk, “Baker’s daughter.”

“Marinette?” Adrien’s brow furrowed, “But I already saw her today.”

“Yeah, but Chat Noir didn’t,” the kwami practically sang, “Don’t you think your purrincess is getting a little lonely? After all, it’s been a while since your last visit.”

The model’s cheeks warmed slightly before a pensive expression overtook his features, “Actually Plagg, I think you’re right. It  _ has _ been a while since I’ve talked to Marinette as Chat. Besides, this could be a great way to gauge her feelings about Adrien!”

“Yeah, yeah, lover boy, whatever you need to tell yourself to feel better about seeing Marinette,” Plagg snickered.

Rolling his eyes, Adrien called for his transformation, “Plagg, claws out!” 

With a rush of renewed energy, his tiredness from before was completely eradicated. After shaking himself slightly to get rid of the last flickers of exhaustion, Chat Noir carefully snuck out of the Agreste manor. Slinking out into the cool Parisian night, the wind gently brushed along his cheeks as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop. Chat gazed up at the brightly lit full Moon as his tail swayed gently behind him. It was with remembered practice that he eventually found himself back at Marinette’s balcony and a subtle smile overtook his face as he stood above her trapdoor. With a quick knock to the hatch, the superhero awaited her presence eagerly.

After a few minutes, the girl emerged, rubbing a hand sleepily over her eye as she yawned, “Hello?” Marinette called out tiredly.

A soft smile spread across his face as he took in her messy bed-head and pajamas.  _ Adorable _ , the thought flitted across his mind before Chat bowed, “I’m sorry purrincess, did I wake you?”

“No, I just look this amazing  _ all _ the time,” she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes before giggling cutely, “Kidding! But I am glad you woke me. I took a much-needed nap because I’ve been staying up  _ way _ too late in order to finish a commission.”

“Can I see it?” his eyes lit up excitedly, “Your designs are always amazing!”

Smiling shyly, Marinette opened the trapdoor wider before ducking away, “Sure. It’s not the best right now but it’s only a rough version of the final piece.”

Jumping down, Chat landed gracefully on her bed. He watched her go down her ladder curiously before he saw her hold up a sweater. Though he, unfortunately, couldn’t see the colors properly, to him, it was a very light gray, stitched with darker grey hearts on the sleeves. “That’s pawsitively amazing, Marinette,” he grinned happily at her.

“You think so?” she looked down at her own design, “Maman assures me that it’s a pretty pink but I can’t tell or even know what pink is or looks like. Hopefully my customer likes it,” Marinette shot him a small smile.

“Well I love it and it’s not even finished yet, so I’m sure she’s going to love it,” the superhero slid down her ladder before going over to her and placing a warm hand on her shoulder, “You’re an amazing designer, Marinette. Even without the ability to see colors.”

“Aw, Chat!” she beamed before wrapping her arms around him in a giant hug, “You’re too sweet to me!”

He chuckled as his arms came up to hug her back, “Only telling the truth, Mari.”

After a few seconds, the girl pulled back and gave him a serious look, “But are you alright, Chat? I haven’t asked why you’re here yet.”

“I’m wounded purrincess. Can’t a kitten come and visit his favorite civilian without something being wrong?” Chat placed a hand over his heart.

Rolling her eyes, Marinette said warningly, “Chat!”

“Honestly Mari, I just missed you,” his eyes softened as he watched a small smile take over her face before she ducked her head down.

“Well I missed you too, kitty,” she peered up at him before looking away and giggling nervously, “You know, I haven't seen you or Ladybug for a while. There hasn’t been an akuma attack in a long time. Maybe Hawkmoth’s finally given up.”

The superhero let out a puff of breath, “Wouldn’t that be nice.”

Marinette nodded before falling backwards onto her chaise, “Yeah it really would,” she murmured as her eyes took on a far-away expression.

“So how’s boy trouble going?” he tried to ask unsubtly as he nudged her so they could share the small couch together. Shooting him a nasty look, she moved over and sat cross-legged so they could face each other.

Chat gave her a charming grin as Marinette rolled her eyes again and grumbled, “What boy trouble?”

“You know,” he nudged her slightly with his knee, “How’s Adrien?”

Her cheeks puffed up before she blew out a long breath, “Honestly half of the time I want to punch his stupid model face.”

Chat’s eyes widened and his hands unconsciously went up to cover his face protectively, “What?” he whispered.

“I mean seriously! I don’t know what’s wrong with him,” Marinette ignored his reaction, “I swear it’s like he’s going around making certain that we’re ‘just friends, Marinette,’ or ‘I hope I’m not making you uncomfortable. I don’t want to remind you that you had feelings for me.’ God, it’s exhausting.”

“I-,” he swallowed, “Maybe he’s just trying to make certain you’re okay?”

“I know he is,” her lips pursed, “This is  _ Adrien _ , the sweetest boy in the world! I know for a fact that he isn’t doing this on purpose but it still hurts.”

_ Note to self quit asking Marinette if she’s okay _ , Chat thought to himself as he watched said girl stand up and begin to pace.

“And then,” Marinette chuckles dryly, “And then he goes and interrupts my conversation with Luka and I do stupid things like  _ hope _ ! Hope that maybe he’s realizing he does have feelings for me even though I  _ know _ that I’m wrong!”

“Mari,” he stood up as he placed both of his hands on her shoulders comfortingly, though his face felt as though it was on fire from her words, “Are you alright? I don’t want an akuma to come...” Chat trailed off as he scanned her face.

Her eyes fluttered closed for a second as she took in a deep breath, “You’re right, Chaton. I’m sorry.”

“No,  _ I’m _ sorry, Marinette. You should be allowed to get upset without the added fear of an akuma,” he ran a hand through his hair frustratedly.

“Hey, that’s not your fault, Chat. You and Ladybug are trying your best and I know that in the end you’ll win,” she grinned at him.

The superhero shook his head slightly as he chuckled at her, “How are  _ you _ the one cheering me up when I’m supposed to be cheering  _ you _ up?”

Marinette giggled, “We can both cheer each other up! That’s why we make such good friends!”

“While we’re still on the topic, do you have any other feelings of residual anger toward Adrien you need to get out? I'd rather an akuma come with me here rather than having your emotions build-up,” Chat asked as a smirk tickled at the edges of his lips.  _ Am I _ really _ this much of a masochist _ ? he thought to himself,  _ Well if it’s to help Mari, I suppose that I am _ .

She snickered before shaking her head, “Honestly no. I’m more mad at myself than him.”

“What?! Why?!” his eyes widened as she plopped down in her desk chair, spinning around slightly.

“Because even after he’s told me he likes someone else I still can’t help but like him back. I mean, just when I think I’m getting over him he does something and all I want to do is lean in and smooch that pretty model face of his. Take today, for example, we were working on a school project together and I couldn’t stop myself from looking up at him. And then, suddenly, the setting sun hit his face just so and I really did almost kiss him,” Marinette sighed as she lowered her head on the desk in front of her.

“You almost did w-what?” Chat’s eyes practically popped out of his head as his face burned. He tried to scan his memory for any sign that she had continuously glanced up at him as they studied together. Finding none, he looked at her helplessly.

Marinette’s head whipped up at that, scoffing as she rolled her eyes, “Please, you know what I mean! Smooching, kissing, making out it only means one thing!”

“L-like on the cheek you mean,” he stuttered nervously.

“Yes Chaton, I want to make out with Adrien’s cheek,” her words practically dripped with sarcasm as she stood up and swatted him over the head, “No, you idiot! On the lips!”

“So y-you want to do WHAT to Adrien’s face?” he practically screeched as he envisioned her leaning over and actually kissing him from earlier that day.

“Shh, Chaton! Be quiet or you’ll wake up my parents!” she hissed, getting up and smacking a hand over his mouth quickly, “And surely you know what it’s like to want to kiss someone! Don’t you want to kiss Ladybug?”

“Well, I mean... I guess... yeah... but that’s different,” Chat stuttered and stumbled, still trying to erase the vision of Marinette and him kissing instead of focusing on their assignment.

Marinette’s eyebrows rose as she said incredulously, “Different  _ how _ ? We both have feelings for them. Usually you want to kiss the person you have a crush on.”

_ Because I wasn’t imagining kissing _ you, he thought to himself desperately as he sucked in a harsh gulp of air, “But... but...,” Chat’s face paled as he couldn’t stop himself from envisioning leaning over and connecting their lips right now.

“But what, silly kitty?” the designer giggled before concern took over her features, “Are you alright, Chaton? You look like you’re going to be sick? Do you want me to get you some water?”

 “Yes please!” he gasped out, “You’re right! I’m not exactly feeling like myself right now, though I’m certain a glass of water would help. If you wouldn’t mind.” 

“Okay! I’ll be right back!” she nodded quickly before ducking down her trapdoor. 

_ What in the world is wrong with me _ , Chat thought to himself furiously as he ran a hand through his hair,  _ suddenly Marinette says she wants to kiss me and I turn into a raging lunatic. I rejected her a few nights ago  _ and _ I’m in love with  _ Ladybug _. Ladybug! I can’t go around thinking about kissing Marinette!  _ As the superhero raged to himself silently, he collapsed back onto the chaise. Staring up at the ceiling he attempted to get his thoughts back in order when Marinette finally came back upstairs with a cup of water.

“Here you go, Chaton,” she said, looking at him with clear worry etched onto her features. She handed him the glass and he gulped it down quickly, shaking his head to rid his mind of its errant thoughts. 

Chat cleared his throat before smiling, “Thank you, Marinette. Sorry I really don’t know what just came over me.”

“It’s alright,” she grinned softly back at him, the concern in her eyes slowly receding, “It  _ is _ getting colder. I hope you’re not getting sick.”

“Don’t worry purrincess, I’m feline just fine,” he winked at her cheekily to erase any remaining tension between the two.

The anxiety completely left her features as Marinette rolled her eyes, “And there are the puns. I was wondering where they had gone. I suppose you must be feeling better then.”

“Well, if I’m being honest, I’m pawsitively famished. Do you think this little kitten could get a treat from the bakery, purrhaps?” Chat pouted up at her.

Her lips pursed in annoyance as her brow furrowed, “Did you come over here just so you could get a croissant?”

“No,” he said innocently, “Why would I ever do that? I come here for you and only you, Marinette,” Chat’s lips jutted out further as he blinked at her innocently.

Marinette’s lips twitched into a smirk before she giggled and shook her head, “You’re too charming for your own good, kitty cat. Keep those eyes to yourself,” she flicked his nose once before ducking back down her trapdoor.

Pushing himself up from his reclined position on her chaise, Chat looked around her room. Not for the first time, he wished he could see colors instead of the light greys and whites that decorated her room. He wondered if one day he’d actually be able to see it, preferably after winning over his sweet lady. The superhero sighed longingly as he thought about where Ladybug could be and what she was doing at this particular moment. Chat chuckled as he imagined she was most likely in bed sleeping by now.

“I’m back!” Marinette practically sang, interrupting his thoughts when he turned to look at her. She was smiling brightly as she held up a plate of steaming, hot croissants. 

“Food!” he chirped as he plucked one of the delicious treats off of the plate. Biting into the buttered, crispy pastry his eyes fluttered closed as the flavor exploded on his tongue, “Mmm! This is delicious, Marinette! Thank you!”

She merely rolled her eyes at him with a fond smile, “Yeah, yeah, you’re welcome Chat. I swear though if my parents ever catch me up at almost midnight reheating croissants you’re taking the blame!”

“If it means I keep getting some of your delicious pastries then I’m alright with that,” Chat smiled widely at her.

Marinette chuckled before a wicked expression twinkled in her eyes, “Want to get destroyed in  _ Ultimate Mecha Strike III _ ?”

“You’re on!” the superhero said before sitting on the desk chair next to her as he grabbed the controller, “Bet I can beat you at least once,” he smirked at her.

“Good luck,” she scoffed, booting up the video game. 

Marinette’s fingers easily flew across the buttons with well-timed practice as Chat’s tongue stuck out in concentration as he attempted to win. Though he got close several times throughout their multiple rounds, he never quite managed to beat her.

“Aw come on!” he whined as her combo completely destroyed his character.

“I did say you wouldn’t be able to beat me,” she smirked at him triumphantly.

Chat’s eyes narrowed as the need to erase her smug expression filled him.  _ I know I can beat her in at least one game, _ he thought to himself determinedly,  _ I just might need to play a  _ little _ unfairly.  _ “One more game,” he pouted, “Purrety please, Mari.”

“Fine, one more,” Marinette giggled, “But then you need to head home. We still have school tomorrow, you know.”

They restarted the game and this time when his character was on the verge of death, he pointed behind her, “Mari, look over there! It’s Adrien!”

“Wah?” her eyes widened to the size of saucers as her head whipped around. Marinette’s brow furrowed as she realized, but she turned around too late.  _ Chat Noir is the winner, _ read very clearly on her computer screen. Her mouth dropped open as she gasped in shock, “You cheater!” she shoved his shoulder. Chat fell off his chair laughing as the young fashion designer glared down at him. 

“I-I’m sorry,” he panted out, wiping a tear from his eye, “That was just too easy.”

Marinette’s arms crossed over her chest in annoyance, “Seriously?! You just had to say Adrien!? How would you feel if I said ‘Oh, look over there! It’s Ladybug!’ You big cheat!” she grumbled.

“What did you just call me?” Chat asked before standing as a dangerous smile spread across his face.

“A big cheat!” her chin lifted as her eyes flashed threateningly at him. His hands raised up as his fingers moved slightly, causing Marinette to take a step backwards unconsciously. 

“Do you know what happens to people who call me a cheater?” the superhero drew nearer to her.

“What happens?” she asked warily.

“They get tickled!” Chat pounced as the fashion designer darted to the side squealing. She ran across the room and stood with her dresser to her back so she could watch him cautiously.

A flicker of remembrance brushed against his mind but, before he could hone in on just what it was he was supposed to remember, Marinette giggled at him, “Leave me alone you pesky Tomcat! Go back home and take your cheating fingers with you!” 

Chat gasped in fake offense, “I’m no cheat, Marinette! How dare you accuse me of such a thing! I am a superhero!”

“Not right now you’re not!” she grabbed a sock from her drawer and threw it at him as he crept closer.

The superhero’s hands raised in surrender even as he continued to walk to her, “Alright, you got me. I apologize sincerely, Mari.”

“Uh-huh,” Marinette dragged out suspiciously, watching his every step with laser focus.

“I purromise to never use Adrien against you like that again. Cat’s honor,” Chat dipped his head in a small bow.

The designer smiled, dropping the sock that she had clenched in her hand, “Then I forgive you, Chaton. I also promise to never use Ladybug against you like that.”

With her guard let down Chat leapt at her, brushing his fingers against her sides mercilessly as she laughed. He chuckled along with her as she attempted to push his hands away, “Got you, purrincess,” he said quietly.

“You-you pr-promised,” Marinette panted out in between her giggles. She attempted to squirm away from him but the dresser behind her effectively blocked her escape.

“Ahh but I only promised to never use Adrien against you again. I never promised to not tickle you,” Chat slowed his hands to a stop, a wicked smirk on his face as he stared down at the still gasping girl.

“You’re terrible! Getting me to trust you like that,” she glared up into his eyes as she finally managed to catch her breath. Her tongue darted out to wet her dry lips and he couldn’t help himself from tracking the movement. 

Clearing his throat, Chat stepped away from her as an image of him leaning down and connecting their lips hit him in full force. Shaking his head, he gave her a shaky smile as he looked at the trapdoor over her bed, “Well, thank you for keeping me company, Mari, but I think it’s time for me to head home. As you said before, it’s getting rather late and we both have school tomorrow.”

“Ugh. You’re absolutely right,” Marinette groaned, “I’m going to be so tired. And to think, I even tried to get a good night’s sleep tonight. You ruined my sleep, Chaton!”

“Ahh but it was worth it, wasn’t it?” he winked at her before climbing up the ladder to her bed and the trapdoor which laid above it.

The designer rolled her eyes as she followed him up, “Hmm, sleep or Chat Noir? Sleep or Chat Noir? Honestly, I’m pretty sure I’d pick sleep every time.”

“Meouch,” the superhero pouted at her, “That hurts purrincess. And here I thought you loved spending time with me.”

“Not when it disrupts my sleep schedule,” she smiled prettily at him as her head tilted to the side innocently.

“So harsh, what did I do to deserve a friendship like this? Everyone else thinks I’m pawsitively wonderful.”

Marinette opened up her trapdoor as she practically pushed him out of it, “Get out of my room! I can’t take your puns any longer.”

Chat laughed as he leapt up through the small hatch, feeling the cold night air brush against his flushed skin, “Goodnight, Mari. I’ll see you soon,” he paused at the edge of her terrace before turning around and winking down at her, “And I know you think my puns are the cat’s meow. It’s alright, I’ll keep your secret fur you.”

“Go away!” she shouted up at him, yanking her trapdoor back down.

The superhero threw back his head and laughed giddily before taking off into the night. The pitch black of the sky camouflaged with the darkness of his suit as he raced back to the Agreste manor. A twinge of loneliness hit him as he carefully and quietly entered through the large window. Where before Chat was warm and happy within the brightness of the Dupain-Cheng bakery, he felt as though his empty bedroom sucked the last of his energy away from him.

“Plagg, claws in,” he whispered before collapsing face-first onto his bed.

“So?” the small kwami floated above him with a small smirk.

“So what, Plagg?” Adrien turned his head to the side so he could talk to the small cat.

“Still dreaming about kissing your purrincess?” he snickered.

“What?! No!” the model practically spluttered as his face flamed, “Plagg you know I’m in love with Ladybug! Why would I even think about that?!”

Plagg rolled his eyes, “Still in denial then.”

“Denial? What do you mean?” Adrien’s eyebrows furrowed.

“Nothing at all,” the small, black cat said quickly before whining, “Just get me some cheese already. I’m starving.”

With a groan, Adrien shoved himself up from his bed, heading to his usual storage of cheese. His muscles ached with exhaustion as he longed to be back underneath the covers of the warm mattress. Tossing Plagg a piece of the stinky food, he watched as the kwami ate the entire thing in one gulp. Sticking his tongue out in disgust he quickly changed into his comfy, Ladybug-themed pajamas.

“Goodnight, Plagg,” Adrien whispered as he shut off the lights and flopped quickly onto his bed. His eyes fluttered closed though his mind strayed.

_ I can’t believe Marinette actually almost kissed me today. That’s so weird... but is it? I mean, she does have pretty lips. Would it really be so bad if...,  _ he shook his head quickly before turning over,  _ Okay, that’s enough for one night, Adrien. The only lips you should even consider kissing are Ladybug’s. Besides, you’ve already rejected Marinette. There’s no way she’s actually going to kiss you. _ Squeezing his eyes shut, Adrien listened to Plagg’s quiet snores as he finally felt himself drift off into his own deep slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnndddd Adrien is slowly but surely catching feelings. Even if we've known he's had them allllll along ;). I hope you guys enjoy the fluff while it lasts though! There's going to be some angst soon so be prepared ;D! I hope you're all looking forward to Adrienette for the next chapter! Kudos make my day and comments make my week just to let you know :D :D!! Thanks for reading!


	11. Belated Realizations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 11 is finished! Yayaya! I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope you guys like reading it <3\. We have both some fluffy and angsty Adrienette in this chapter ;). And Luka will be making a return next chapter. Lemme know what you think with a comment or kudos pleaseeeee! They make my day!!

Marinette giggled as she handed her paper over to him, “Adrien, what do you think about this for the survey?”

He blinked at her in confusion for a second before smiling as he examined the sheet, “This looks great, Marinette! Did we want to start handing these around school tomorrow?”

The girl across from him grinned, glancing up at him shyly from beneath her lashes, “That’s what I was thinking. Can I see your outline?”

“Sure!” Adrien said as he dug through his backpack before handing over the sheet of paper, “I sort of rushed through it because I got home rather late last night due to the photoshoot. If you need me to redo it, I don’t mind,” he chuckled nervously as he scratched the back of his neck.  _ She doesn’t need to know that the reason it’s so rushed is because I did it this morning since I was too tired after talking with her all night long as Chat _ , the model rationalized to himself.  

“Our hypothesis is that people will prefer polka dots to any other pattern?” Marinette asked curiously, her eyebrow raising slightly.

His cheeks warmed as he thought back on a certain spotted superheroine, “Well, yeah, you know, because of Ladybug?” Adrien cleared his throat awkwardly.

She seemed to consider the idea for a moment before nodding, “I suppose you’re right,” the fashion designer beamed widely over at him.

“If we don’t have anything else to do today besides hand out the survey tomorrow, I should probably head back now,” he gave her a warm look before packing their outline back into his backpack as he stood to go. Dreading the thought of leaving the warm bakery to head back to the cold refines of his mansion, Adrien picked up his phone to text his bodyguard.

“Wait!” Marinette’s hand shot out as she grabbed onto his wrist and turned him around before letting go quickly, “Sorry,” she murmured.

“That’s alright, Marinette. What’s up?” his head turned to the side in confusion, “Am I forgetting something else that we needed to do?”

“N-no it’s just that... Well, I mean, I was wondering if...” her two index fingers tapped together nervously as she stuttered. Her eyes darted around the room and almost seemed to be avoiding him.

_ That’s odd,  _ Adrien thought to himself,  _ She hasn’t stuttered around me like this in a while. I hope everything’s alright. _

“If you weren’t doing anything later today I was wondering if you’d like to stay and watch a movie or something,” Marinette’s eyes clenched shut as she spit the rest of her words out in a rush.

“I’d love to!” the model responded immediately with a bright smile, dropping his backpack onto the floor quickly, “My father hasn’t contacted me yet, so I just won’t tell him the  _ real _ reason that I stayed so late,” Adrien winked at her.

The girl practically beamed with happiness before yanking him over to a couch, “Perfect!” Marinette squealed as she began fiddling with the remote.

His brow furrowed as he sank down onto one of the comfy cushions.  _ Has this always been here? _ Adrien wondered to himself before his thoughts fluttered to a stop when Marinette sat next to him. Her thigh pressed flush against his, sending waves of warmth through his body. The light scent of cookies and other delicious baked goods wafted up from her hair as she turned to face him. His gaze was drawn to her lips as she spoke cheerfully to him.

“Uh-huh,” he managed to give her a shaky smile and a dumb nod.

“Great!” Marinette chirped as she turned back to the television. Her fingers began pressing buttons and Adrien could only presume that he had somehow agreed to a movie. 

With a gulp and great reluctance, he managed to tear his eyes away from her hair and turn them to the screen in front of them.  _ What is happening to me?  _ He thought to himself desperately.

“Adrien?” Marinette paused the movie that he hadn’t paid an ounce of attention to since it began and faced him with a subtle smile, “Are you alright? You look like you’re going to be sick.”

“Yeah, sorry, Marinette. I guess I’m just not feeling too well,” Adrien chuckled nervously, avoiding her own gaze this time.

“You sure that’s the only reason?” she leaned closer to him, a smirk teasing just at the edges of her lips. Her eyes gleamed at him mischievously causing him to suck in a deep breath of air.

Wiping his palms on his jeans, Adrien gave her another shaky smile before stuttering, “W-why? W-what else would it be?”

A warm flush invaded his cheeks as Marinette drew ever closer to tap the tip of his nose gently, “ _ Well _ it seemed to me that you were staring.”

“Staring at what?” Adrien murmured.

“Me,” she whispered before connecting their lips together. 

His eyes popped open before fluttering closed. His arms came up to wrap around her waist hesitantly as she tilted her head to the side to deepen the kiss. All the thoughts that seemed to be jumbling around in his head shut down as he relaxed into Marinette’s arms. Adrien sighed into her mouth dazedly as one of her hands came up to run through his hair. Her nails sent waves of pleasure down his back as she played with the hair on the nape of his neck. She smiled into their kiss before pulling back to take in a deep breath of air.

“Marinette,” he exhaled her name hazily as he too gulped in some air. His hand came up to pull her back down to him when she spoke.

“Adrien,” the designer smiled shyly. Nibbling her already puffy lower lip into her mouth, Adrien could only watch in helpless fascination. 

“Yes, Mari?” he whispered, wanting nothing more than to continue their soft kiss.

“You need to wake up,” she murmured, leaning back away from him.

Adrien frowned, sitting back up on the couch as he stared at her in bewilderment, “What?”

“It’s time to wake up,” Marinette said with a gentle smile, “You’re going to be late for school.”

With that, his eyes blinked open into darkness. It took a few seconds for him to register that he was, in fact, burying his face into a pillow. With a deep groan of exhaustion, Adrien looked over at his alarm clock. Rolling his eyes at the early time, he stood up and padded his way over to the bathroom. Beginning to brush his teeth, his small black kwami lazily floated over and gave him a devilish smirk.

“Done sighing Marinette’s name into your pillow, then?” Plagg snarked at him.

Adrien’s cheeks flushed before he screeched, “What?!”

“Oh, so you mean you don’t remember calling out her name as you practically made out with your pillow,” the tiny cat snickered.

It was with those words that he remembered his dream. Choking slightly on his toothpaste he shot Plagg a dark glare, “Shut up,” he muttered before stalking out of the bathroom.

“I’m just trying to help you realize your feelings for pigtails,” the kwami shrugged.

“How many times do I have to tell you, Plagg!? I’m not in love with Marinette! She’s just a friend!” Adrien threw his hands up into the air with exasperation as he quickly got changed into his everyday school clothes. Clenching his eyes shut against the wave of images from his dream that bombarded his vision, he shook his head.  _ It was only a dream, Adrien, get yourself together _ , he thought to himself desperately,  _ The only reason you dreamed about  _ Marinette _ specifically, was because of how much time you’ve been spending with her. _ With that thought, the model breathed out a sigh of relief, yes, that must have been the reason.

Plagg merely rolled his eyes at him, “Whatever, Adrien. I just hope you realize soon. Not many guys have dreams about kissing their  _ friends _ ,” the small cat dragged out before zipping into the boy’s front pocket.

Sucking in a deep breath, Adrien headed downstairs, shaking off the last few minutes of his dream that kept replaying over and over in his head. Making his way into the dining room for the still-warm breakfast that awaited him, the sound of heels invaded his thoughts. Nathalie quickly entered the room, giving him a fond nod before handing him his schedule, “Your father told me to remind you that though you do not have a photoshoot today due to your project with Marinette, you will have two tomorrow. The first shall be before school and the second will be after.”

With those last parting words, Nathalie left the room as quickly as she had arrived. Sighing, Adrien’s eyes scanned over the page as he took in the information presented to him. Though his day today didn’t seem too stressful he was already dreading the photoshoots tomorrow. He tucked the schedule into his backpack and then quickly finished the rest of his breakfast. Slinging the bag over his shoulder, Adrien stepped outside into the cold, brisk air before dashing into the limo that awaited him.

The drive passed quickly as he texted Nino, informing his best friend that he would be arriving soon. When Adrien finally did make it to the school and stepped outside of the limo, he realized he had forgotten to make the outline for his project with Marinette. He had stayed up too late with her as Chat last night and it had completely slipped his mind that he had agreed to have it printed out today. Muttering a quiet curse to himself he clenched his eyes shut before walking over to the school’s entrance.

“Are you alright, Adrien?” a quiet voice came from behind him.

Whirling around, he looked down to see Marinette gazing up at him with a look of concern. Some of the tension relaxed within him as he stared at her face, “Yeah, I’m sorry Marinette, it’s just that I completely forgot to print out the outline for today.”

“Oh that’s alright,” she brightened instantly, a cute smile spreading across her face as she waved his woes aside like they were nothing, “You can work on it at my place after school. After all, the project isn’t due for a  _ long _ while.”

Adrien chuckled, bumping his shoulder against hers as they both began the trek back to the classroom, “Thanks, Marinette. You always know just what to say to cheer me up.”

Her smile grew wider as she looked at him happily, “Aw, thank you, Adrien. It’s what I’m here for,” she giggled back, copying him as she nudged her shoulder against his playfully. 

When the two entered the classroom, laughing and talking together he noticed Alya shooting him a weird look. It seemed almost as though she was examining him. For what, he wasn’t certain and Adrien merely shrugged as he took his seat. The two girls began whispering together and though he strained his ears, he was unable to completely make out what the two were whispering about. The model’s lips twisted to the side as he swore he heard his name come up a few times yet couldn't hear what came after it. 

Finally, their teacher arrived and Adrien breathed a sigh of relief as he finally stopped thinking about the girl sitting behind him and focused on his lectures for the day. The model excitedly went through the rest of his classes, dreaming about the end of the day when he could finally go to the Dupain-Cheng bakery and get his croissant. 

_ Is that the only thing you’re looking forward to there? _

A voice that sounded suspiciously like Plagg arose from his conscious and he could feel his cheeks flush faintly at the intrusive thought. Kindly telling the kwami in his head to mind his own business, Adrien went to his last class of the day. Luckily, all they were doing in science was a worksheet, which he finished quickly. 

Handing the assignment in to Ms. Mendeleiev, he slowed his walk as he watched Marinette work quietly. Her tongue was stuck out in the corner as she concentrated on the sheet down in front of her. Adrien watched as her eyes brightened when she finally managed to solve a problem. As though noticing his eyes on her, she looked up briefly and their gaze connected. She looked surprised for a moment before shooting him a small grin and a subtle wave. The model’s cheeks warmed slightly as he realized he was caught and he sent her a nervous smile before quickly taking his seat. 

Taking out his journal, he attempted to catch up on some homework but thoughts about the girl behind him kept invading his mind.  _ You  _ rejected _ her, remember. Just because you dreamed about kissing her last night doesn’t mean you can actually kiss her, Agreste. Besides, the only one you’re meant to be kissing is  _ Ladybug _!  _ Adrien winced to himself. The only reason he was feeling this way was because of the dream, he rationalized. Drowning in his thoughts, the young boy barely noticed the bell ring before Nino nudged his shoulder.

“Dude, don’t you want to leave school or were you planning on staying forever?” his best friend chuckled with a smile.

Adrien blinked up at the DJ as he finally realized that he and Nino were the only two left in the classroom, “Yeah,” he laughed, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, “Sorry I was just focusing on homework.”

“I can tell,” Nino smirked, his eyes gleaming at him mischievously before nodding down at his almost empty paper.

“Er... well tried to focus on homework, I guess,” Adrien grimaced.

“Come on, dude, I think you need some fresh air,” his friend slung an arm around his shoulder as he led them outside. 

The two chatted about their days before parting ways. Nino waved a cheerful goodbye to him as he began making his way home. Meanwhile, Adrien’s eyes began scanning the grounds for Marinette, finally finding her chatting with her best friend.

Walking over to the two girls, Alya spotted him first, “Hey sunshine, we didn’t think you were ever leaving class today,” she smirked at him. He watched as Marinette bit down on her lower lip in an attempt to suppress her giggles.

“Yeah, yeah,” Adrien rolled his eyes at her playfully, “I got kind of distracted by some homework and didn’t notice the bell ring.”

“ _ Sure _ you did,” she snickered, nudging her best friend’s side.

What was that supposed to mean? And why was Marinette now glaring at Alya? Shaking the confusion away, he turned to his partner and shot her a small smile, “You ready to go now, Marinette?”

“Yep,” she said cheerfully before turning and waving goodbye to Alya.

“Bye you two,” Alya sent them both a playful smile, “Have fun on your study date!” she chuckled before walking off.

For what felt like the hundredth time that day, Adrien’s cheeks grew warm as he waved his own goodbye to the reporter. He looked down at Marinette who looked frustrated before she glanced up at him and her face relaxed. 

“So, how was your day?” she asked him as they began walking over to the limo that awaited them.

“It was okay, nothing really exciting happened,” Adrien shrugged, shifting the bag on his shoulder as he opened the door for Marinette, “How was yours?”

“Pretty average,” she scooted onto the limo seat and he followed her before she turned to him with sparkling eyes, “But I did make it to class on time for once. I even woke up early enough to help my parents in the bakery,” Marinette said proudly.

Adrien chuckled at her teasingly, “You know most people wake up on time for class every day, right?”

“Shut up,” the designer giggled, shifting closer to punch his arm playfully, “It’s not my fault that I have trouble waking up! I have a terrible sleep schedule,” she stuck her tongue out at him.

Adrien laughed along with her, even as his gaze was drawn down to her tongue. He took in a deep breath of air as he finally seemed to recognize that her leg was flush against his own, sending pleasant waves of heat from the contact. The model gulped as his dream from this morning hit him in full force, remembering the kiss they had shared. He quickly shifted backwards, moving his leg out of contact with a quiet sigh. 

“Adrien, are you alright?” Marinette leaned forward in concern.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine,” he stuttered nervously.

“Are you sure? You look like you’re about to be sick...” she trailed off anxiously.

“N-no I-I’m okay,” Adrien rushed to reassure her even as he imagined leaning over and connecting their lips together right now. 

Marinette merely frowned at him, “If you say so...”

_ Ladybug, remember Ladybug! _

“O-oh, look! We’re here!” he scrambled to open the car door and take in a breath of fresh air that didn’t hold the tantalizing scent of her perfume. Avoiding the worried gaze she shot him, Adrien raced into the bakery. 

“Oh Adrien, it’s lovely to see you!” Sabine greeted him, “Are you and Marinette working on the project again?”

“Yes, Mme. Cheng,” the model smiled brightly when he felt said girl brush up against his side.

Adrien turned to look down at Marinette who was staring up at him with a teasing grin, “Did you really just race in here to get a croissant?” 

“Yep,” he laughed nervously, “That’s exactly what happened! Is that alright with you, Mme. Cheng?”

_ Yep, that is  _ definitely  _ the reason, Marinette. It’s not because I almost kissed you in the car. _

“Oh of course, sweetheart! Someone needs to fatten you up after all,” she winked at him before turning to make him one of their delicious pastries.

Adrien watched Sabine work for a while before Marinette tapped him on the shoulder. He glanced down at her cheerful expression as she asked him a question, “Do you mind if I go upstairs and make us some popcorn? I’ve been craving it for a while,” she giggled.

“Of course not!” he said excitedly, “You make the best treats, Marinette.”

“Thank you, Adrien. I’ll see you upstairs in a bit then,” she squeezed his shoulder before disappearing up the stairs.

The model watched her go with a small grin on his face before turning back to Sabine who held out the croissant with a knowing smile, “Here’s your pastry, Adrien. Good luck on the project.”

“Thank you so much Mme. Chang! Have a great day!” Adrien waved as he headed towards the stairs.

“You too,” she called after him as he made his way up to the kitchen. 

When he got up there, the delicious smell of popcorn wafted from every corner of the room. In an instant Marinette was next to him, holding out a bowl filled with the buttery treat, “Taste test?” she asked with a sweet smile, “I wasn’t sure how much butter or salt you prefer so I hope I didn’t put  _ too _ much on.”

Adrien popped one of the pieces in his mouth and felt the delicious flavor explode upon his tongue. It was warm, crispy, and filled with the perfect amount of butter all in one bite. “Mmm,” he grinned toothily at her, “This is absolutely delicious Marinette!”

“Great!” she beamed proudly as she guided the two of them up the stairs leading to her room, “So I did manage to print out the survey for today. I wanted you to look at it before we give it out to our classmates tomorrow, though.”

“Sorry again,” he chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck, “I completely forgot about printing the outline once I got home from my photoshoot last night.”

_ And then visited you as Chat, _ he added as a silent after-thought.

“Pfft, don’t worry about it, Adrien,” Marinette waved it aside, “I know how busy your schedule is.”

The model shot her a soft look as a warm smile spread across his face, “Thanks for understanding, Marinette.”

“What are friends for?” she smiled brightly at him as she brought the treasure chest back to the center of the room.

“Right,” Adrien chuckled, rubbing his chest slightly as a sense of uneasiness fluttered to life in his stomach.

He plopped down across from her as she carefully placed the bowl of popcorn next to him. He pulled out a sheet of paper to begin writing the outline for their project as Marinette reached for her backpack and grabbed her survey.

“Here you go!” she handed it to him, “Sorry it's not perfect. I printed it out rather late last night,” her eyes took on a far-away expression and he wondered if she was thinking about Chat.

Adrien’s eyes scanned over the questions before he gave it back to her with a small chuckle, “What are you talking about? It looks great, Marinette!”

“You really think so?” the designer took it back from him with a shy smile, “That’s great! I’ll probably do some light editing on it before I start distributing it out tomorrow then.”

“Suppose I should actually start on the outline, then,” he nodded down at his still blank sheet of paper with a laugh. Marinette merely grinned at him before looking back at her own writing, marking some small adjustments with her pencil.

_ At least my dream actually managed to give me some ideas for a hypothesis, _ Adrien shrugged to himself as he began filling out the necessary components for their science project. 

The two began working on their separate pieces in a companionable silence. When he finished the rough draft of his outline, he re-read it and began to make small changes. He couldn’t stop himself from looking up, however, when Marinette’s pencil stopped moving across the page. Adrien blinked as the girl in front of him began leaning over across the table towards him.

_ C-could she be...? Is she really giving in on her urge to kiss me?  _

Adrien’s eyes widened for a brief second before they quickly fluttered closed. His lips opened into a slight pout as he waited for their lips to connect.  _ This is okay,  _ he thinks to himself as he leans closer,  _ I’m alright with this. _

He waits patiently for a kiss that never comes. One of his eyes opened slightly to see Marinette staring at him in confusion with her hand in the popcorn bowl. Both of his eyes shoot wide open as she leans back with a handful of the delicious treat.

“You alright, Adrien?” she asks with concern, popping one of the pieces into her mouth.

“W-w-what?” he stutters, feeling his face both pale and drop at the same time.

“You look pale now and your eyes closed just a few seconds before...” Marinette’s brow furrows as she continues staring at him, “You’ve been acting really strange since we got into your limo.”

“Y-yeah, d-don’t worry, Marinette. I’m fine,” Adrien rushes to reassure her. He gulps nervously as several things hit him at once. He wants to kiss Marinette Dupain-Cheng and he’s pretty certain that his dream wasn’t the only reason why. 

_ I-I can’t like Marinette, can I? _

Suddenly, she’s leaning across the table again and Adrien panics once more. His eyes dart around the room when the back of her hand comes to rest on his forehead. She hums slightly to herself as though debating something.

_ W-why is she doing that? And why do I want her to keep doing that? T-this feels nice. _

Adrien leans into the warmth of her hand, letting out his own low hum. His eyes flutter closed as his brain shuts down for a few seconds. He takes in a deep breath of air as the smell of cookies and other baked treats surrounds him. He nuzzles further into that warmth, enjoying the fluttering feeling that overtakes his stomach. 

“Hmm, I don’t know... You feel kind of warm. Do you have any medicine? I think you may be getting sick,” her sweet voice came from above him, sending a shiver of pleasure down his back. 

Adrien merely hums in response, too enraptured by her scent and warmth to do anything else. A deep rumble comes from within his chest and before he can stop it, a loud purr interrupts the quiet. With that, her hand is gone, and he’s left feeling bereft as his eyes fly open. It is with great restraint that he keeps himself from following her hand and instead stares at her wide, confused, beautiful eyes.

“W-what was that?” Marinette questions. The model coughs for a second before he’s scrambling backwards, knocking the bowl of popcorn onto the floor with him. “A-Adrien?!” she screeches in concern as she looks down at him.

“You know what Marinette, you’re right! I’m really not feeling too well! I think I need to go now!” Adrien’s panicking and he knows it as he rushes to stuff everything back into his backpack. He forgets about the spilled popcorn bowl that still lays on the floor as he rushes to open the trapdoor. 

He can practically feel Marinette’s worried stare follow him around the room as her anxious voice calls after him, “Feel better!”

And that was it. That was the moment when Adrien realized he was in deep. His eyes clenched shut as realization hits him. He was in love with Marinette Dupain-Cheng. The girl who had confessed to him not even a week ago and whom he had rejected.

_This is_ _not good! This is_ really _not good,_ he thinks to himself as he tears out of the bakery. Not even bothering to call his bodyguard, Adrien decides to run back to the mansion. On his way out, he bumps into Luka, who he barely manages to choke out a hello too before stumbling his way back down the street.

When he finally does reach home, he is out of breath and greeted by Nathalie’s surprised gaze. Quickly giving her a shaky smile to let her know that he was alright, he rushes into his room and slams the door closed. 

The loud noise upsets the small, black cat within his pocket who floats out with an unhappy grumble. Rubbing his eyes, Plagg yawns tiredly at him, “What’d you do that for? I was trying to get some shut-eye.”

“Plagg you were right,” Adrien whispers.

“I usually am,” he snorts, “But what am I right about this time?”

“I-I’m in  _ love _ with Marinette,” he looks up at him with desperation brimming within his eyes.

The kwami merely laughs at him, “Told you so!” 

“Plagg this is serious! What am I supposed to do?! I can’t love both Marinette and Ladybug!” Adrien’s hands fist within his hair in frustration.

“Well kid, I certainly hope you didn’t tell her you love her like  _ this _ ,” he waves a small, black paw down at his chosen, “You look demonic!”

The model’s lips twist to the side as he glares at the floating cat, “I haven’t actually told her yet.”

“WHAT?” Plagg practically screeches, “What did you do then? Bolt out of her room like a man possessed.”

“Well yeah,” Adrien shouts back frustratedly, “I didn’t know what else to do Plagg! I’ve only just realized, and I rejected her not even a week ago!”

“Adrien you really are an idiot,” the kwami shakes his head at him, “You’d be lucky if Marinette even considers giving you a chance now.”

His face pales as he collapses onto the bed, “Oh god Plagg, you’re right. I’ve completely screwed this up, haven’t I?” 

“Honestly kid, you screwed this up a while ago when Marinette confessed that she liked you,” Plagg patted his cheek in concern, “But that girl has loved you for a while so if you’re smart you might be able to fix this.”

“But... but what do I do about Ladybug?” Adrien whispers, clutching a pillow and hugging it to his chest.

His kwami merely sighed at him, “Adrien, I hate to break it to you but Ladybug has  _ never _ shown any interest in you. Don’t you think it’d be better to move onto someone who has?”

“I rejected her though,” he says as he tightens his grasp on the pillow.

“It’ll be alright, kid. We’ll figure this out in the morning, alright? I think it’d be good for you to get some rest right now.”

“If you say so,” Adrien murmurs, standing up begrudgingly as he changes into his pajamas. Sighing, he crawls into bed and somehow manages to fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our boy has finally realized his feelings!! Whoohoo!! It took a bit but we got there haha. But hmmm it does seem like Luka will be making a return. I wonder what this will do to our duo? Only time will tell ;). Feel free to leave a comment and kudos if you enjoyed <3 <3!! Also have you guys seen Loveater yet?!! I have and omgggg!! It hurted :(. If you have seen it feel free to come and talk to me on my tumblr aalissy. I need to let out my feelings for this episode D:.


	12. Everything is Blue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anndddd we're back! With another chapter of Dreaming in Black and White! I hope you guys like this one! It's filled with fluffy Lukanette which I needed after the finale. Lemme know what you think <3

Marinette watched Adrien rush out of her room with a light frown upon her face. An uneasy feeling hit her stomach as she wondered what had gotten into the model. Hopefully, it was just a cold and nothing too serious. Her frown increased as she wondered if there was anything that she could do to help him feel better faster.  _ Suppose I could bake him a croissant and give it to him tomorrow, _ she thought to herself,  _ If he goes to class tomorrow... that is _ .

“Do you think Adrien’s alright, Tikki?” Marinette called out to the empty room, nibbling her lower lip pensively, “He looked really pale when he left here.”

The small kwami phased out of her purse, zipping over to the young designer, “I’m not certain, Marinette. I couldn’t really see him, but he definitely sounded very strange today,” Tikki gave her a knowing smile that she couldn’t quite ascertain the meaning of.

“I thought he sounded a little off too. Well, in any case, I hope he’s okay...” she sucked on her lower lip slightly in thought, “I was actually planning on making him a croissant tomorrow if he showed up for class.”

“That’d be very kind of you, Marinette,” Tikki’s face split into a loving smile before she hugged Marinette's cheek tightly between her small paws. The designer giggled before bringing her own hands up to cup the small bug to her gently. She nuzzled into the warm hug as both her and Tikki laughed together. 

Eventually, she stood up and stretched, letting out a loud yawn before heading to her computer screen, “Suppose I had better print out some more copies of my survey to hand out tomorrow.” 

Her kwami merely grinned in response before diving diving back into Marinette’s purse to take a short nap. Setting up her computer to begin printing out the short document, she was drawn to her sketchbook. Humming to herself as a new design idea hit her, she began doodling the dress. About halfway through, however, she was startled from her process by a small knock on her trapdoor. 

“Come in,” Marinette called down, her tongue sticking out in concentration as she returned to her sketch.

In a few seconds, Sabine popped her head up to stare up at her daughter with a loving smile, “Marinette, there’s someone here to see you.”

Blinking in confusion, a small frown marred her features before she grabbed her purse and slung it over her shoulder. Following her mom downstairs, Marinette tried to peek around her to see who it was.

_ Did Adrien forget something? _ She thought to herself,  _ or could it be Alya coming to check up on the study session? _ Shrugging, she continued going down the stairs until she arrived in the bakery. A large grin split across her face as she saw a familiar boy standing by the counter. She walked towards him happily as she called out excitedly, “Luka?! What are you doing here?”

He turned to her in surprise before smiling at her, “I haven’t seen you in a while, Marinette, and I missed you,” a soft look entered into Luka’s eyes as he stared into her own. His hands reached for hers, holding onto them softly and she felt her heart melt into a puddle. A small tingle shot up her arm from the contact and she let out a small sigh of happiness.

_ Wow, I haven’t felt like this for  _ anyone _ since I first met Adrien, _ Marinette squealed to herself,  _ I must  _ really  _ like Luka, and I’m pretty sure he likes me too, so maybe... _

“D-did you maybe want to go upstairs to talk?” she stuttered slightly, feeling her cheeks heat up.

“That’d be perfect, Marinette. I actually have something I’ve wanted to ask you for a while now,” the musician squeezed her hand gently. Marinette squeaked and giggled to herself silently before leading Luka up the stairs, his warm hand still within hers. 

Once they reached her bedroom, she let go of his hand somewhat reluctantly, tapping her index fingers together nervously. She looked up at him from beneath her lashes shyly before rocking back and forth on her feet, “So... What did you want to ask me?”

Luka cleared his throat, grabbing onto one of her hands again to stop her nervous fidgeting, causing Marinette to let out a small squeak. He drew closer to her, cupping her cheek gently with his other hand as he did so, “Marinette, I’ve been in love with you for so long I’ve almost forgotten what it feels like not to be. You have been the inspiration behind every song since the day I met you on that boat. The only music I can create has to do with  _ you _ , Marinette. So would you do me the honor of going out with me?”

She practically swooned at his words, a giggle of pure joy bubbling out from her as giddiness swept over her entire body, “Yes! Yes, of course I will, Luka! I’d absolutely love too!”

“Really?” he whispered before she nodded, biting on her lower lip shyly. 

Suddenly, Marinette was pulled even closer into his arms. The hand that was previously holding onto her wrist moved up to her other cheek so that both of his hands were cupping her face delicately. Luka’s lips collided with hers and her eyes widened slightly before fluttering closed. A soft sigh left her before she reached up to wrap her arms around his neck. He smiled into their kiss and one of his hands moved from her cheek to wrap around one of her pigtails.

Eventually, Marinette leaned back for air, sucking in a gasp of breath as her eyes slowly opened. Her lips parted in awe as a small gasp escaped her, “Luka... your hair, your eyes, your jacket! T-they aren’t gray!” she whispered in awe.

His own eyes widened in awe as he stared at her, “Marinette... I... look at  _ your _ hair! Your eyes! You’re absolutely breathtaking!”

A deep flush heated her cheeks before she squealed, burying herself in his arms, “Luka, you know what this means, right?”

“You’re my soulmate, Marinette,” he breathed out.

“You’re my soulmate,” Marinette whispered his words back to him. Her eyes filled with happy tears as she clutched him tighter to her chest. 

_ God, all this time I wasted on Adrien when my soulmate was  _ right here _ all along! _

“Marinette,” Luka leaned back, causing her to look into his beautiful, brightly colored eyes, “Would you like to go somewhere with me right now?”

“Yes, please!” she confirmed breathily. His hand grasped her wrist, racing her out the trapdoor and down the stairs two at a time as she giggled heartily behind him. Marinette tugged him to a stop at her kitchen, “Luka, where are we going?”

“Somewhere, anywhere where we can see more of this!” he gestured at her hair and eyes before they continued their run eagerly. They ran out of the bakery as the door chimed softly behind them. 

Marinette laughed in amazement as she attempted to keep up with the energetic boy. Her eyes drifted upwards, however, before she slowed to a stop. Luka attempted to tug her forward but looked back in concern when she didn’t move, “Luka... look at the sky!”

His own gaze was drawn upwards as he stared up at the sky in bewilderment. For the first time in their entire lives, it wasn’t a light grey. They both stood there, frozen, as they looked up at the color that shimmered and sparkled above them. 

After a few more moments, Luka broke out of his daze, “Come on, Marinette, let’s go to the Seine and just relax.”

“O-okay,” Marinette stuttered, nodding dumbly. Her gaze remained fixed on the sky in wonder as the musician practically dragged her to the river. 

A little gasp escaped Luka’s lips and she looked at him in concern before she noticed that his eyes were locked on the river. She let out her own puff of air as she looked at the vision before her. Instead of its usual dark grey, the river was now bright and practically shined with color. The tiny waves sparkled under the sunlight and soon Marinette was tugging the wonderstruck boy over to the bridge. Her hands tightened on the metal bars as she leaned forward, staring down at the beautiful color. Luka’s shoulder brushed gently against hers as he leaned down with her. 

She squeezed his hand once before turning to him with new tears of joy brimming within her eyes, “Thank you, Luka. Thank you for giving me this.”

“No, Marinette, thank  _ you _ ,” he squeezed her hand back.

The young designer let out a happy cry before burying herself within his arms. Luka grasped her to him tightly before leaning back, cupping Marinette’s chin in his hand before bringing their lips together. She sighed, burying her hands within his hair as she kissed him back. His head tilted, deepening the kiss as he embraced her tighter, clutching her to his chest almost desperately. Far too soon, they broke apart to suck in a few deep lungfuls of air.

“I love you, Marinette,” the musician looked into her eyes as he spoke with complete and utter sincerity, “You inspire me everyday with your kindness and your beauty and I’m never going to let you go,” his thumb came up to rub her cheek tenderly as adoration filled his expression.  

“I love you too, Luka,” Marinette whispered back, “You give me more than I could ever dream of.”

She eventually managed to tear her eyes away from his deep, colorful gaze before she looked at the other objects around her. For the first time since Luka’s confession, she frowned. The grass, trees, and even the bridge were still a dull grey. The designer looked down at her outfit and her frown deepened as she saw that even her jeans were still their usual, light grey and not filled with color like she was expecting.

Marinette was interrupted from her musings, however, as Luka called out to her, “You alright, Marinette?”

“Yeah, I-I’m fine, but... how come we can’t see every color?” she turned back to look at him.

He blinked for a second, looking around them for seemingly the first time before looking back at her and shrugging his shoulders uncertainly, “I’m not sure, Mari. But I have to confess that I don’t know very much about how soulmates work. Maybe we just need to wait a few days?”

Marinette hummed, nibbling on her lower lip in thought, “You’re probably right. I don’t know very much about soulmates myself, you know,” she gave him a small smile.

“Do you want to go sit down there?” Luka nodded towards their usual spot.

She grinned, following him towards the water’s edge. They both sat down, dangling their feet over the river. The musicians’ hand reached out for hers, holding onto it gently as they watched the small waves lap against the wall. Marinette leaned her head onto his shoulder, tilting her head up to the sky to feel the wind gently brush against her bangs. The heat from the sun flushed her cheeks as she relaxed contentedly against the boy next to her. She was startled from her serenity, however, from a familiar jingle of an ice cream cart.

“Oh!” Marinette jumped up, pulling Luka up to his feet as well, “Look! It’s Andre’s!”

“Would you like to get some ice cream, Marinette?” he looked down at her with sparkling eyes before chuckling with amusement. 

A faint blush heated her cheeks before she giggled, “Yes, please!” She grinned at him, dragging him over to the cart. When they made their way back over to the bridge, the two of them stared up at Andre with bright, eager eyes. 

“Ah, what a harmonious young couple,” he smiled down at them, “Blackberry and blueberry is the perfect match for you two,” the man said before leaning into his cart. Beams lip up their faces as Andre scooped two flavors of the beautiful new color onto a cone for them. 

“Thank you!” Marinette said graciously. A smile grew across her face as she paid the man, taking the ice cream cone. Her other hand reached out for Luka’s as she led the boy back to their usual spot.

The musician glanced down at her with a soft grin as they sat down together, “That looks delicious, Marinette. Did you know I’ve never had Andre’s before? Is it good?”

“Mhm,” she nodded eagerly after taking a bite from the cone, “I can’t believe you’ve never had Andre’s! It’s the best ice cream in the world!”

“I guess I’ve just never had someone to come here with,” Luka shrugged, his eyes sparkling down at her, “I heard it always tasted better with someone to share it with.”

Marinette glanced down shyly, warmth heating her cheeks as a giddy feeling danced within her chest. She held the spoon in front of his mouth and gave him a warm smile, “Here, try some then!”

Luka leaned forward, taking a bite from the frozen treat. His eyes lip with excitement as the flavor exploded across his tongue, “Mmm! You’re right, Marinette! That is delicious.”

“Told you so,” she stuck her tongue out playfully before smiling timidly, looking up at him from beneath her lashes, “We should come back soon and get some more.”

“That sounds perfect, Marinette,” he swooped down, giving her a surprise peck on the lips. 

The designer beamed happily after the kiss ended before she shivered slightly as a wave of cold ran through her. She wrapped her light blazer around herself tighter as she tried to get warmer.  _ I wish ice cream wasn’t so cold _ , Marinette thought to herself longingly.

“You cold?” Luka asked in concern as he watched her huddle into herself.

She nodded, “Yeah, sorry. It’s that darn ice cream’s fault,” Marinette giggled.

“Come on. Let’s get you back home where it’s warm,” he stood up, placing his own jacket over her shoulders snugly before nodding at the sky, “It is getting late.”

She blinked up at the sky in surprise as she realized how much time had passed. The sky was slowly darkening and the sun had almost completely lowered in the horizon. Marinette turned back to Luka as she realized he was holding his hand out for her own. She took his hand gratefully, letting him pull her up as they began the trek back to the bakery.

“Won’t you be cold without your jacket?” the designer asked in concern.

He merely chuckled at her before squeezing her hand, “I’ll be alright, Marinette. Besides I always feel warm when I’m near you.”

She nodded, a blush flooding her cheeks once again as she squealed silently with giddiness. Marinette’s head nuzzled further into the jacket as a faint waft of his cologne surrounded her. She sighed with contentment as warmth slowly returned to her body.

When they finally neared the bakery, she attempted to shrug out of his jacket before he stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder, “Keep it, Mari. It looks way better on you than it ever did on me,” Luka smiled softly down at her.

“Uh-huh,” she nodded dumbly before shaking her head at herself, “I-I mean thank you, Luka. That’s very kind of you,” a silly smile spread across her cheeks at his words. He turned to leave and Marinette finally managed to snap out of her stupor and run after him before he could get too far away. 

“Yes, Mari,” he turned to look down at her with confusion after she tugged on his arm.

She leaned up on her tip-toes before kissing him softly on the lips, “I just wanted to say thank you for this amazing day, Luka.”

He grinned softly at her before wrapping her up in a warm hug, “Thank you too, Marinette.”

“W-would you mind coming back this weekend to hang out with me again?” she stuttered after leaning back. The designer sucked her lower lip into her mouth, tapping her index fingers together nervously.

“I’d absolutely love too. By that time I’d have written a new song for you,” Luka winked at her.

Marinette let out a puff of air in disbelief and wonder, “Wow, really?”

“Absolutely! I already have a few ideas of how the melody would go right now, so I’d better get started before I forget,” Luka waved at her before turning and heading towards his houseboat.

“I can’t wait to hear it!” she shouted after him, waving until he completely disappeared from her vision. With that, a dazed sigh escaped her lips before she shakily made her way back to her house. When she walked up the stairs and entered her kitchen, she squealed before running up and enrapturing her parents in a large hug, “Maman! Papa! Luka’s my soulmate!”

“I’d wondered where you two kids had run off too,” Tom winked at her.

“Oh, Marinette, honey, I’m so happy for you,” Sabine exclaimed with happy tears in her eyes.

Her eyes drifted up to her mother’s hair which she looked at in wonder. The previously black hair now shimmered with color in the bright lights of her kitchen, “Your hair is very beautiful, Maman. What color is it?”

“It’s blue, sweetheart, and it looks just like yours,” she reached out and brushed a hand through her own daughter’s hair.

“Blue,” Marinette whispered in awe, “What an amazing color!”

With that, she kissed them both on the cheeks before racing into her bedroom upstairs. Her eyes immediately searched for her mirror before letting out an audible gasp as she stared at her reflection.

“My eyes are so blue,” she murmured in fascination.

“Congratulations, Marinette,” Tikki yawned, rubbing one of her eyes tiredly as she did so.

The designer squealed as she looked at her kwami. Her own eyes stood out among the light greys of her bedroom, though they were significantly darker than her own.

“Your eyes are blue too, Tikki!” Marinette exclaimed happily.

“Is blue your favorite color, then?” Tikki giggled at her.

“Oh, most definitely,” she nodded her head emphatically, “I can’t imagine any color being better than this!” she collapsed onto her chaise with a deep, awe-filled sigh. Her eyes scanned her room for any other signs of the color, yet there were only brief hints of it scattered amongst the dull greys, whites, and blacks. 

“I’m very happy that you found your soulmate today, Marinette! You deserve it, and Luka seems like a wonderful match for you,” Tikki zoomed over to nuzzle the designer’s cheek happily.

“He is wonderful, isn’t he?” she sighed dreamily, “I should have given up on Adrien ages ago.”

The small kwami chuckled, “Crushes can be very hard to get rid of, Marinette,” Tikki pointed out wisely, “But I’m glad that it all worked out for you in the end.”

Stretching, the designer stood up and began walking over to her closet. She grabbed her favorite pair of pajamas and stared at them with a small pout. Her lips twisted to the side dejectedly before blowing out a breath of air, “I wish they were blue.”

“You can always get new pajamas, you know,” the bug-like creature interjected with a cute giggle.

Marinette laughed as she shrugged into the tank-top and sweatpants, “You’re right!” she kissed her kwami on the top of her head before climbing up the ladder to her bed, “Goodnight, Tikki! I love you!”

“I love you too, Marinette,” Tikki zoomed up after her as the designer flopped ungracefully onto her bed. Rolling her eyes at her owner, she curled up on the pillow next to her. 

_ I hope I see more colors tomorrow, _ Marinette thought to herself as she snuggled under her covers. She clenched her eyes shut tight with excitement as she slipped into a deep sleep. Her dreams were filled with the color blue and a certain musician as she couldn’t wait to see him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marinette can see blue now :D! Yayayayay!! Poor thing doesn't realize yet that Adrien is pining for her. What is a young girl to do? Also, have you guys seen the trailer yet for Chat Blanc :O. I am shooketh. Can November happen like now please? Leave a comment and kudos pretty pleaseeee if you enjoyed this chapter <3! They make my dayyyyy!!


	13. A Forgotten Rose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 13 is finally here!! Sorry it took so long you guys but I got sick and I barely managed to go to my classes let alone get any writing done. I'm feeling better though so I hope this chapter makes up for it <3\. Lemme know what you think pleaseeee :)

Adrien’s first thought when he awoke that morning was of Marinette. Even Nathalie’s rapid knocks on his bedroom door couldn’t stop his heart from fluttering at the idea of seeing her later that day. Soon, however, that giddiness completely evaporated. He  _ literally _ rejected her a week ago. God, why was he such an idiot? Marinette was amazing and super pretty. They could have shared a world of colors together if he had only said yes. A longing sigh escaped him as he imagined what that would be like.  Groaning, Adrien buried his face into his pillow in an attempt to smother himself. Before he could do so, however, Nathalie entered the room, “Adrien, you need to get up. You have a photoshoot this morning, remember?”

Letting out a quiet whine, he turned his head to the side to give her a weak smile, “Thank you, Nathalie.”

She gave him a brisk nod before turning and heading out of his room. Sitting up, he scrubbed his face with his hands, blowing out a long breath of air. As Adrien made his way over to the bathroom, Plagg floated up from beneath his bed covers and followed him, “Well,  _ somebody _ looks cheerful this morning,” he snickered sarcastically.

“Oh, shut up, Plagg,” he glared at his kwami.

“Hey, it’s not my fault you didn’t get with pigtails when you had the chance,” the small, black cat rolled his eyes at him, “In fact, may I remind you that I’ve been trying to tell you that you’ve been in love with her all along.”

“I know,” Adrien sighed as he got dressed, “I’m really just mad at myself for not realizing sooner.”

“I understand, kid,” Plagg nods before rubbing his belly, “Now would you get me some camembert, all this talk about love is making me hungry.”

Rolling his eyes at the gluttonous kwami, he spits out his toothpaste, wiping his mouth as he walks over to the supply of camembert. A sudden thought strikes him when he grabbed a piece of the stinky cheese and he turned to Plagg with wide, panicked eyes, “Plagg! What about Ladybug?!”

“What about her?” the small cat asked, his eyes completely focused on the cheese that was still in Adrien’s grip.

“How can I be in love with both Marinette and Ladybug?!  _ Neither _ of them deserves that,” he ran a hand through his hair anxiously.

“My lips are sealed unless you give me that cheese,” Plagg said hungrily.

Adrien rolled his eyes before tossing the piece at the small cat. He watched in disgust as the whole piece was devoured in one bite, “Ugh, Plagg you’re incorrigible.”

The kwami merely grinned mischievously before taking on a more serious look, “Well if we’re being honest kid, only one of them has ever shown  _ any  _ interest in you.”

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right,” his brow furrowed, “Thanks for the talk, Plagg,” Adrien murmured before making his way downstairs.

“You’re welcome,” he beamed before diving into the boy’s front pocket.

Trudging into his dining room with a loud yawn, Adrien practically collapsed on the chair by his freshly-made breakfast. For the first time, the early morning hour hit him and he was struck by a wave of exhaustion. Scarfing down the small breakfast in front of him he downed his orange juice in one gulp. Chewing on his avocado toast, the model contemplated exactly what he was going to say to Marinette. 

As though sensing exactly when he had finished, Nathalie arrived into the dining room, “Are you finished with your meal?” she looked down at his empty plate with a quirked eyebrow. Adrien nodded at her, his lips quirking into a slight smirk before she handed him a slip of paper, “Good. Your driver is ready to take you to your photoshoot then,” the assistant turned and briskly walked out of the room as he followed along behind her, shooting one last, longing glance at his bedroom upstairs. 

_ I could be in bed sleeping right now _ , he thought forlornly.

As he slid into one of the plush leather seats of the limo outside, Nathalie turned to him with an expectant look, “The shoot should only take about 30 minutes, so don’t worry about being late for class.”

“I understand,” Adrien nodded before muttering quietly, “Besides, father would never let me be late for school.”

“What was that Adrien?” her eyes narrowed at him suspiciously.

He merely smiled at her innocently, “Nothing. Just wondering what class will be like today.”

Nathalie nodded at him before turning to her notes, leaving him to contemplate his thoughts to himself. Turning to gaze out at the colorless world from his window, his thoughts drifted to Marinette and how he was going to apologize to her. Sighing, Adrien rested his chin on his hand, vainly hoping that there was a way to salvage their relationship.

_And perhaps add something more to it_ , a small, nagging voice taunted him, causing a red flush to light up his cheeks. _Stop that!_ _You ruined any chance you had with Marinette and you know it_ , he berated himself.

Soon, his limo had pulled up to the park where his photoshoot was getting set up. Directly after he stepped out of the car, he was immediately rushed into hair and make-up. Once again, Adrien’s thoughts drifted over to a certain designer and he wished that  _ she  _ were here instead. The usual long, boring process of hair and make-up passed rather quickly as he imagined Marinette’s hands fixing his hair and applying his bronzer. Eventually, he was snapped out of his daydreams as they finished up and hurried him outside. 

Vincent stood there with a large grin as he neared the fountain, “Adrien! You look fantastico! It is amazing to see you once again.”

The model chuckled at the eccentric photographer, “You as well, Vincent. It’s been a while since I’ve had a photoshoot.”

“I hope you haven’t forgotten everything, then,” he winked at the boy in front of him before toying with his camera, “Now I’m going to need looks of passion and awe from you, think you can do that?”

Adrien bit his lip, a small, shy smile spreading across his face as he nodded at the photographer, “Yeah, I think I can.”

_ I don’t think it’ll be  _ too _ hard to look like that when I can barely stop myself from thinking of Marinette. _

Leaning back, Adrien imagined just what it would feel like to be the designer’s boyfriend. A feeling of intense longing welled up from within him as he wondered what it would have been like had he accepted her feelings from the beginning. His fingers tightened around nothing as he envisioned holding Marinette’s hand and pulling her in for a sweet kiss. A small sigh left his lips as he imagined the colors they could have shared together.

As expected, the photographer gasped as he began snapping shot after shot, “Perfetto! Magnifico!” 

It was easy coming up with the looks that Vincent continuously shouted at him as he daydreamed about the adorable designer. In fact, it was almost  _ too _ easy picturing Marinette as his girlfriend. With shocking clarity, Adrien realized that this was not the first time he had done this. He had thought about her multiple times during photoshoots, especially when she was right across from him when he invited her to come watch after the battle with Troublemaker. His eyes strayed over to her usual position longingly and, for a second, it almost seemed as though she were there, smiling cheerfully over at him. The model’s fists clenched together tightly with anger and bitterness.  _ Had I just realized sooner none of this would have happened,  _ he thought to himself furiously.

“No! No!” Vincent’s voice broke through Adrien’s sullen musings, “That is the expression of a boy who has just received a bowl of limp noodles! I want to see a look a bowl full of spaghetti inspires!”

“Sorry,” he murmured sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck nervously, “It won’t happen again,” Adrien assured before shaking off the angry thoughts. 

The rest of the photoshoot passed rather quickly with Vincent shouting out small words of encouragement and inspiration for poses. When the thirty minutes were up, Nathalie quickly hurried him into the limo, “You did very well today, Adrien. Vincent tells me that this was some of your best work,” she said as she looked through her notes.

The boy blinked at her in surprise for a moment, “Really? Wow, I’m glad.”

“Just make certain that you do just as well in the photoshoot after school today,” she shot him a pointed glance before turning back to her notes. 

Adrien gulped quietly, nodding at her before turning to face the window. His stomach tightened into knots as they slowly neared the school. Running over exactly what he had planned to say to the girl that had taken over his thoughts for most of the day, he placed his hand over the door handle. When they slowed to a stop in front of the entrance, he quickly bolted out of the car, eagerly running straight to class. Adrien’s eyes immediately shot straight to Marinette’s seat and his heart sank in disappointment when he realized it was empty.

_ Damn, I was really hoping to talk to her before class today, _ he thought to himself, his lips pursing in slight annoyance as he slid into his seat.

As the minutes ticked ever nearer, and more and more students entered the classroom, Adrien’s stomach continued to tighten anxiously. When his best friend, Nino, arrived he attempted to make light conversation with him, yet his eyes were continuously drawn to the door whenever it opened.

“You waiting for someone, dude?” Nino quirked an eyebrow at him after his eyes strayed for the fifth time.

A light flush brushed across his cheeks as he realized he was caught. With an awkward chuckle, he rubbed the back of his neck nervously, “Yeah. I ran out on Marinette during our project last night and I wanted to apologize.”

“Because of your dad?” the DJ gave him an understanding nod, clapping a hand to his shoulder sympathetically.

“Yeah,” Adrien winced slightly, a guilty feeling gnawing at his insides.

Nino merely smiled widely, squeezing his shoulder, “Ah, well you know Marinette! If she’s two minutes late, she’s five minutes early, and besides, it is Marinette we're talking about! You’re probably already forgiven, dude!”

“I guess,” he mumbled, glanced down at his notebook awkwardly. The sound of the bell jolted him out of his dreary thoughts and he quickly focused on Mlle. Bustiers’ lesson. 

Rather soon afterwards, Marinette stumbled her way into the classroom, apologizing profusely before rushing over to her seat. Adrien watched her sit down with an adoring smile on his face. His previous feelings of anxiousness completely disappeared into a wave of butterflies from her presence alone.

After Mlle. Bustier turned around once again to continue their lesson, he felt a small tap on his shoulder. Turning around, he was met with Marinette’s beaming, adorable face as she smiled down at him, “I was hoping you’d be in class today because I made you this,” she whispered, pulling out a bag and handing it over to him, “Are you feeling better after yesterday?”

Adrien nodded dumbly at her for a moment before he snapped out of his stupor, taking the bag from her with a purposeful brush of their fingers. He reached inside and grabbed a perfect-looking croissant out, “Thank you, Marinette,” he murmured breathily back.

“It’s no problem at all!” her grin grew wider, “I just hope that it’s still warm! I rushed over here as fast as I could,” she nibbled lightly on her lip.

“I’m certain that it’s perfect, Marinette,” he whispered back at her, quickly turning around before they could get caught. Adrien immediately bit into his croissant, letting the savory flavor explode on his tongue. The warmth from the pastry mixed perfectly well with the light layer of butter and he practically devoured the treat. He gave Marinette a quick thumbs-up and a beaming grin before facing Mlle. Bustier once again.

For the first time in his life, the model realized that sitting in front of Marinette was the worst thing ever. He practically ached with the need to turn around and stare at the girl as she worked. Luckily, Adrien managed to sneak a few peeks at the girl behind him and watch her tongue stick out in utter concentration as she took notes. However, these looks did not go unnoticed by Alya who raised her eyebrows at him smugly. The model merely gave her a shaky smile, shrugging with a faint blush spreading across his cheeks before turning back to his notes.

When the bell finally rang at the end of his last class, Adrien packed his things eagerly, hoping to meet Marinette outside and exchange a few words with her before going to his photoshoot. 

_ And maybe have a chance to discuss the current status of your relationship _ , a sly voice snickered from inside him.

Brushing the voice off, Adrien quickly hurried outside, scanning the grounds for Marinette. Though he was unable to find her, his limo was already nearing the school’s entrance. Huffing out a breath of air angrily, he waved goodbye to Nino and trudged over to the car. With a tired smile at the Gorilla, he slid into his seat with a quiet sigh. Adrien’s eyes glanced over at the empty seat next to him, wishing futilely that Marinette was here and that they were going to her house to study instead of the park for another shoot. 

Instead of Marinette, however, Nathalie slid into the empty seat, giving him a polite nod, “Good afternoon, Adrien.”

“Good afternoon, Nathalie,” he gave her a tired smile in response.

“I trust you already know that you have a photoshoot in twenty minutes?”

The model nodded, “Yes, Nathalie. Thank you for reminding me, though.”

“You’re welcome, Adrien,” she said curtly, “It shouldn’t take long if you do as well tonight as you did this morning.”

“Let’s hope so,” Adrien murmured, leaning his head back against the headrest as his eyes fluttered closed. It didn’t take long before they arrived, and his peace was interrupted as he was whisked into hair and make-up. Only light touches needed to be reapplied to his face and hair before he was placed back in front of the camera.

_ What a great day today was _ , he thought to himself bitterly,  _ I barely got to talk to Marinette and these photoshoots are just the worst. _

Placing his usual, model smile on his face he tried to get through the photoshoot as quickly as he could. When they were nearly wrapping up, his eyes were drawn to a lone figure on a bench nearby who was staring up at the sky. It took a few seconds before he realized that it was Marinette and his eyes lit up in excitement, “Uh, Vincent, would you um, mind if we stopped early?”

“Hmm, give me just a few more pictures in a new pose and I bet I will have enough to wrap up here,” he beamed at him, “But make them count, Monsieur Agreste.”

Adrien nodded eagerly, puffing out his chest with a confident smile as he continually glanced over at the bench to check on Marinette, vainly hoping that she might spot them. Within a few more pictures, Vincent let out a happy cry and let Adrien go.

With a thankful smile at his photographer, he slowly walked over to the girl who was clearly sketching a new design. Gulping nervously to himself, he tapped on her shoulder watching her look up at him startled, “You making a new outfit?” the model grinned down at her.

“Oh, Adrien! I didn’t know you were here!” Marinette looked him up and down which caused his face to turn a deep red. He practically squealed in his head, feeling his heart beat faster as her gaze returned to his face with a curious smile, “You look different. You had a photoshoot after school today, right?”

“Yeah, I did,” Adrien sat next to her, letting his foot rest against her own, as he preened slightly for her, “What do you think?”

Marinette giggled, shaking her head at him with a roll of her eyes, “You look great, Adrien. Though I suspect you already know this.”

“Yeah but your opinion is the only one that matters to me,” he poked her side teasingly.

Her mouth dropped open into a cute expression of surprise before her brow furrowed and she gave him a strange look, “Really?”

“Y-yeah because you’re a fashion designer and everything,” Adrien chuckled at her nervously, scratching the back of his neck.  _ And because I want to look good for you _ , he added to himself silently.

“Mhm,” Marinette hummed before returning to her sketch.

He leaned closer to look at the design, breathing in a deep breath full of cinnamon and cookies, “So, like I was saying before, what are you working on?”

Her lips slowly spread into a wide smile and damn if he didn’t want to kiss that look right off her face. Marinette’s eyes shot up to the sky for a moment before returning to his gaze, “I got really inspired by the sky yesterday so I was making a new dress. Do you wanna see?”

“Of course!” Adrien used the excuse to shuffle closer, letting his arm bump against her own, feeling a trail of warmth run along his arm with the movement. He gazed down at the pretty, poofy dress and imagined how beautiful she would look in it, “Wow, Marinette, that looks amazing!” he breathed out.

“You really think so?” she bit her lip shyly as she glanced at him from beneath her lashes.

He nodded quickly to assure her, “Oh definitely! You know I think your designs are just the greatest!” Adrien took a deep gulp of air before continuing, “And I think you would look amaz-”

Before he could finish his sentence, he was cut off by a throat clearing in front of them. He looked up to see Nathalie glaring down at the two of them, tapping her heels in the ground impatiently, “I heard from Vincent that you left the photoshoot early. Is that true, Adrien?”

His brow furrowed as he leaned away from Marinette, “Well yes but-”

“Your father is going to be extremely disappointed to hear this, Adrien. You know that if you finish early you’re to head straight home,” her angry glare chilled him and he shrank back from her slightly.

Before he could open his mouth to explain, Marinette stood up with a remorseful smile, “I’m so sorry, Mlle. Sancouer. This is all my fault,” she paused to take in a deep breath of air, “You see after Adrien went home early from our group project, I asked him if he would be able to get out of one of his photoshoots early and come meet with me. I had a few more questions to ask him and I honestly didn’t realize it would be so important, considering he had two shoots today.”

“Is this true, Adrien?” Nathalie turned to look at him as he stared up at Marinette in awe.

“Hmm?” his head snapped to hers at the sound of his name before he stood up, nodding sadly, “Yeah, I’m really sorry Nathalie. I honestly didn’t realize it was going to take up so much time.”

She gave them a brisk nod, “Then that is acceptable. However, next time tell me so that this does not happen in the future. Finish discussing the state of your project soon and then come to the limo so that we can head home,” with that, she turned and strode away from the two teens.

“I can’t thank you enough, Marinette,” Adrien reached out for her hand, giving it a quick squeeze.

“Don’t mention it, Adrien,” she smiled at him, “I just didn’t want to see you get in trouble over nothing.”

_ She’s absolutely amazing, _ he thought to himself with awe,  _ How come I never noticed that before?! _

“Still, thank you so much, Marinette. You have  _ no _ idea how much trouble you’ve just saved me from. Where did you learn how to do that?”

She giggled sweetly before nodding over his shoulder, “Let's just say I've gotten good at coming up with excuses recently. Now, you had better go before you get in trouble again. I don’t know how many excuses Nathalie will accept before you really  _ do _ get in trouble.”

Giving her hand one last squeeze, Adrien let go of her reluctantly. Staring down into her beautiful, sparkling eyes he made the quick decision to lean down and peck her cheek, “See you tomorrow, Marinette,” he whispered in her ear before swiftly dashing off towards the car.

He sighed dreamily after sitting down in one of the comfy seats, causing Nathalie to look at him curiously, “Did you finish answering all of her questions regarding the assignment?”

“Yeah, yeah I did,” Adrien nodded dumbly, still staring off into space as he envisioned himself stealing Marinette’s lips in a kiss instead of just her cheek. Continuing down that line of thought he barely even realized that they had arrived home until Nathalie shut the car door loudly. Snapping out of his daydreams, he practically floated his way up to his bedroom before falling onto his bed with a loud sigh.

“Feeling any better, lover boy?” Plagg snickered down at him.

“Mhm,” he hummed happily, “Did you hear the way she stood up for me, Plagg? God, she’s perfect!”

His kwami merely rolled his eyes at him, “Are you going to be like this all the time now, Adrien? I don’t know how much of this I’ll be able to handle.”

“Just wait until we get married and have three kids and a little pet hamster,” Adrien sighed loudly, “I’ll be absolutely insufferable by then.”

“Yuck, all this talk about love is making me sick. Got any cheese to make up for it?” Plagg asked hopefully. The model nodded his head before getting up and tossing the black cat a piece from his stash. The kwami’s eyes narrowed in suspicion as he ate the slice of camembert, “Huh, that was easy. Usually, you put up more of a fight before giving me my cheese.”

Ignoring the kwami, Adrien shook his head, “I have to confess, Plagg. I don’t know how much longer I can stand not being with her. Especially with how amazing and beautiful she is.”

The small, black cat chuckled, “I can’t wait to see how that’ll go seeing how you rejected her about a week ago.”

His eyes took on a mischievous twinkle as he smiled at Plagg, “ _ Adrien  _ rejected her, Plagg. I know someone else who didn't. Someone she’s  _ also _ confessed too,” he shook the hand containing his ring in front of his kwami’s face with a smug smile.

“No, no, no!” the small cat begged, “Let’s not be hasty here kid and just wai-”

“Plagg claws out!” Adrien interrupted the kwami’s pleadings as he felt the energy rush through his bones. 

With an excited bounce to his step, Chat Noir immediately leapt out the window. Taking off into the night, he felt the wind ruffle his hair as he scanned the ground for what he needed. It didn’t take long before he spotted it, and he quickly and neatly landed next to the rose bush. The superhero searched the bush for the perfect flower before he finally found it, plucking the delicate rose from where it was hidden within the leaves. Carefully slicing the thorns with his claws he tucked the flower behind his belt before he took off for Marinette’s house. 

Rehearsing exactly what he was going to say to her in his confession, Chat prayed that he wouldn’t freeze up in her presence and forget everything. Butterflies fluttered happily within his stomach as he neared her balcony and he took in a huge gulp of breath. Landing right next to the trapdoor, he reached out to knock on the hatch before pausing, “You can do this, Chat,” he whispered to himself nervously as he began pacing, “It’s just Marinette. You  _ know _ her and it’s never been hard to talk to her before.”

With those last encouraging words, he ran a hand through his hair anxiously before leaning down and quickly knocking on the small trapdoor. Chat’s hand went behind his back to reassure himself that the rose was still there. As he heard movement from down below, he clutched the flower in his grasp tighter.

Within a few moments, Marinette’s bright face grinned up at him in a wonderful beam, “Chaton!” she jumped up and tackled him into a giant embrace.

He stumbled back from the force of her hug and almost lost his grip on the rose. Holding onto the flower tightly with one hand he used the other to snuggle deeper into the girl’s embrace. Her warmth sent delicate shivers up his spine, lighting his body on fire before he leaned back to look down at her.

“I have news!” they both blurted out at the same time.

Giggling, Marinette gestures at him, “You go first. What do you need to tell me?”

Taking a deep breath, Chat holds onto the rose tighter, “ _ Well _ ,” he drags out before he’s cut off by the designer.

“Did you know that the sky is blue?” she practically squeals, biting her lower lip with barely contained excitement.

“W-what?” he breathed out, his grip loosening around the rose.

“Luka asked me out yesterday!” she practically shouts, bouncing with joy.

His mouth drops and his heart tumbles along after it, “O-oh and is he your...?” he trailed off, unable to finish the question.

“He’s my soulmate!” Marinette shouts, “I can see blue!” she sings, capturing him in another tight hug.

A long rush of air escapes Chat’s lungs and he can barely manage to stand as his legs buckle uselessly. His grip on the rose is completely lost and it falls off the balcony’s edge, tumbling down to the street below. He forces himself to bring his arms up to hug Marinette back as she continues to squeal about colors.

“It’s just absolutely insane being able to see  _ color _ !! Blue’s just so beautiful! Did you know that both my hair  _ and _ eyes are blue?!” 

“I-I’m so happy for you Marinette,” he manages to choke out, trying to stop the rush of tears that are threatening to fall.

She pulls back out of his embrace and Chat attempts to rearrange his face back into a smile, though he’s certain it comes off as more of a grimace. Marinette blinks at him for a moment before grinning softly, “Anyway, enough about me. What about  _ you _ ?! What was your news?”

“Oh n-nothing,” he stutters slightly, backing away from her slowly, “I just wanted to see how you were doing. It looks like you’re doing well, and um, I just remembered that... I need to go now... I have something I need to do. I’m really sorry.”

Her brow furrows as her head tilts to the side in confusion, “O-oh, okay. Are you sure?”

“Yep,” Chat choked out before turning to go.

“Wait, Chaton,” her hand shot out to grip his wrist, turning him back around to face her, “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Yeah, I-I’m fine,” he barely manages to give her a wobbly smile.

Her grip loosens yet her frown deepens, “Alright. I’ll see you soon though, right?”

“Oh, yeah, definitely,” the superhero nods and Marinette lets go completely, allowing him to jump off her balcony and run straight back home.

“That was weird,” she mumbled to herself, watching him go until he’s entirely out of sight. Shivering slightly, the designer turns and heads back to the warmth of her bedroom.

As he runs from rooftop to rooftop, Chat is unable to stop the tears that leak from his eyes and drop onto the tiles. His vision blurs and he works on muscle memory alone to get home, his mind empty and his emotions numb until he finally bursts through his window. Releasing his transformation, Adrien collapses onto his bed with a quiet sob. He buries his face within a pillow and lets the bitter tears stain the soft surface.

“Kid?” his kwami’s voice pipes up from above him, “You alright?”

“No, no I’m not Plagg,” his head whips up as he looks at the small, black cat, “I ruined my chances with both Marinette  _ and _ Ladybug. I can’t believe I even thought I still had a shot with her. Especially when I knew that both Marinette and Luka liked each other. Th-this is all my fault,” he sniffled.

“No, it’s not Adrien,” Plagg shakes his head at him before hugging the boy’s shoulder, “It’s no one’s fault.”

“You don’t understand. I could have had Marinette a week ago and I let her go. I let her run straight into Luka’s arms,” another choked sob wracked through Adrien’s body before he clenched his eyes shut tight.

His kwami snuggled further into his arm, “Want me to go cataclysm him?

A bitter laugh escaped him before he could stop it, “No, Plagg. Luka’s my friend and I don’t want to see him  _ or _ Marinette get hurt.”

“You sure? I can make it so he just loses a rib or two,” the small cat snickered, leaning back, “A few broken bones won’t hurt, I promise.”

“ _ Well _ , if you’re sure,” Adrien says with a chuckle before hugging his kwami tightly, “Thank you, Plagg, you always know how to cheer me up.”

“ _ Someone’s _ gotta keep you from getting akumatized,” Plagg squirmed out of his embrace before flopping to the bed uselessly, “Besides I also need cheese and you’re my only supplier.”

Adrien merely rolls his eyes, getting up with one last sniffle before going over to his kwami’s stash and handing him two pieces of the delicious substance. He heard Plagg scarf down the camembert quickly as he dragged himself to the bathroom to change into his pajamas. Quickly changing into the warm, comfy material he dove back into the bed where he struggled to fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awwwww my poor Adrien!!! What's a poor young model to do when the girl he loves is already in love with someone else? Sigh, hopefully he'll be able to get over this soon. But I think I'm going to make him suffer just a bit hehe. He did reject my girl a few chapters ago. Also have you guys seen Chat Blanc??!!! My hearrtttttt I just want them to be happppyyyyy. Anyways, lemme know what you think of this chapter. Your comments and kudos mean absolutely everything to me <3!!


	14. Patrols and Shocking Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I am finalllly back!! I'm so so sorry it's been so long guys but I've been suuuper busy! It's almost finals week so I've been preparing for that as well as watching the Jingle Jam hehe. Regardless, I hope you like this chapter! We're slowly nearing the endgame! Comments and kudos are my everything <3

When Marinette’s eyes blinked open that morning, they immediately scanned her surroundings, hoping to spot something other than the color blue. Exhaling in disappointment when she found no other colors, she stood up, shrugging off the lingering sadness.  _ Maybe tomorrow,  _ she thought to herself hopefully as she changed into her normal clothes.

“Wow, Marinette,” Tikki’s small voice came from her pillow as the kwami yawned, rubbing her eye tiredly, “You’re up early and I didn’t even have to wake you.”

“Shush,” the designer giggled, “I’ve been getting up earlier and you know it!”

“ _ Sure  _ you have,” the small, bug-like creature dragged out sarcastically, “What about yesterday then?”

Marinette’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment as she screeched, “That was different! I had to bake that croissant for Adrien, remember?”

A small, tinkling laugh came from her kwami at that, “You’re right. That was very kind of you, Marinette.”

“Thank you,” she stuck her tongue out teasingly at Tikki before opening her purse, “Come on, we’re going to be late for school if you keep staring at me like that.”

“Ah, yes, because it’s my fault we’re usually late for class.”

Marinette grumbled as she turned to flip open her trapdoor, “Fine, be that way then!” she made it about halfway down the steps before feeling a small force zip into her purse. Smiling down at her bag, her face brightened even more when she stepped into her kitchen and saw the breakfast that was awaiting her.

“Good morning, Marinette. You’re up early,” Tom chuckled jovially at her. He winked at her as she was handed a plate filled with fresh croissants and warm bread.

“Good morning Maman, Papa,” Marinette kissed both their cheeks with a loving smile before sitting down. She scarfed down her breakfast hungrily as her gaze continuously glanced over to the time on her phone.

Sabine brushed a strand of her hair back, kissing her cheek as she spoke to her daughter softly, “Slow down there. You’re not late this morning, remember?”

Giving her mother a sheepish smile, Marinette slowed down as she ate the remaining scraps of her breakfast. Washing her plate off before putting it into the dishwasher, she went to the bathroom where she could finish brushing her teeth and hair. Ignoring everything else that remained a dull grey, the designers’ eyes watched her dark blue hair move in awe as she brushed it into her usual pigtails. Once finished with her daily routine, which took a little longer than usual due to her fascination with her hair, she dashed out and kissed both her parents on the cheeks once again.

 “Goodbye Maman! Goodbye Papa!” Marinette called out as she rushed down the stairs and out of the bakery. 

In her race to get to school, she hardly noticed the body she collided against at the entrance hall. With a startled screech, she fell onto the boy and felt his arms come up to wrap around her waist protectively as they hit the floor. Her eyes squeezed shut as the air left her body in a rush.

“Are you alright, Marinette?” Adrien’s voice came from somewhere and she blinked open her eyes and stared down at the model in shock. His brow was furrowed somewhat and his mouth was open slightly in surprise. Feeling her cheeks flush in embarrassment, she hurriedly got off the boy, holding a hand out to help him up.

“I’m so so sorry, Adrien! I was la-,” Marinette winced as she suddenly realized that she wasn’t late and hadn’t needed to crash into him so unexpectedly, “Well, I had thought I was late and didn’t see you.”

“I-It’s alright, Marinette,” he stuttered slightly before taking her hand reluctantly. Adrien stood up and looked at her as though wanting to say something more before turning around and walking away.

She stared after him with a frown, wondering why he seemed to leave so suddenly. Shrugging, she followed after him as they both walked into the same classroom. Pulling out her notebook, Marinette began doodling a new design as she waited for the rest of the class to arrive. Soon, she felt her best friend slide into the seat next to her and she turned to look at Alya eagerly.

“Wow girl, you’re here early,” her eyebrow raised in curiosity.

“Shut up,” Marinette laughed as she poked her friend in the shoulder with a pencil.

“Never!” Alya chuckled with her.

The designer merely giggled, rolling her eyes before she looked at her best friend more seriously, “Alya, w-would you mind if I-I, um, asked you something?”

“Of course not, Marinette! Shoot,” Alya said as she dug around her backpack for her own notebook.

Nodding, she tapped her index fingers together nervously, “You know how I told you yesterday that Luka was my soulmate, right?”

“How could I forget?!” the reporter placed her journal on her desk as she faced her friend, “I’m pretty certain we squealed for like five hours together yesterday!”

Nibbling her lip slightly, Marinette laughed anxiously, “R-right! So, I was just wondering when you and Nino were able to see more than one color.”

“What do you mean?” Alya’s head tilted to the side in confusion.

“You  _ were _ only able to see one color when you first asked him out, right?” her brow furrowed as she watched her friend’s face stare at her in bewilderment.

“Um, no,” Alya shook her head, “When I asked Nino out we could see every color right away. D-did that not happen with Luka?” 

Marinette’s frown deepened with that response. She slowly shook her head as she opened her mouth, “I... no. We can only see the color blue. Do you know what that means?”

Her best friend’s hand came to rest on her shoulder as she looked at her with sympathy, “No, I-I honestly don’t. I’ve never heard of that happening before. Have you talked to your parents about it?”

“No. I thought it was normal and I was so excited to see  _ something _ that it’s completely slipped my mind,” Marinette shook her head rapidly.

Alya pursed her lips in thought as she removed her hand, “Well, try asking them. If they don’t know why this happening then I can start investigating for you! Besides, maybe you and Luka are just slower and will be able to see more colors soon,” she exclaimed with a bright smile.

“Yeah, I bet your right,” she gave the reporter a shaky smile before turning to the front of the class as their lecture began. 

It was hard concentrating on her classes for the rest of the day when she was itching to go back home and ask her parents if they knew anything about her situation. Finally, the last bell rang and she bolted out of the classroom as she raced back home. Ducking and weaving against the other people on their own journeys home, Marinette eventually burst into the bakery. Taking a few seconds to pant in a few gasps of air, she eventually turned to her parents who were looking at her worriedly.

“Are you alright, sweetheart?” Sabine called from behind the front counter, “You can’t be late arriving home, you know.”

“I-I know,” she blushed faintly before nibbling her lip, “I just  _ really _ needed to ask you something about soulmates.”

“Will you be alright running the bakery if I take a break to discuss things with Marinette?” Sabine turned to Tom with a loving smile.

He gave her a small peck on the lips before gesturing up the stairs with his head, “I’ll be fine. Take all the time you need.”

“Thank you, love. I’ll be back soon,” she took her apron off before ushering her daughter into the upstairs kitchen. 

When Marinette sat down at her kitchen table, she took a deep breath before facing her mom. Fiddling with her hands nervously, she looks up at Sabine from beneath her lashes, “I was just wondering because Nino and Alya were able to see all colors at once, what it means if you can only see one?” Marinette finished in a rush.

Her mom blinked at her for a moment before tilting her head in confusion, “I’m afraid I didn’t understand that, Marinette. Could you repeat that again for me slower? I thought you and Luka were soulmates...”

Her eyes fluttered closed as she attempted to stop her restless movements and calm her mind, “Luka and I are soulmates but I’m only able to see the color blue. Do you know if that means anything?”

Sabine’s mouth dropped open in shock before it closed as a look of sympathy entered into her eyes, “I-I’m sorry, Marinette. I have heard of this happening before in very rare cases. Though I must admit that I don’t know much about this. It’s not usually talked about.”

“O-oh... D-do you know if they were eventually able to see color together, then?” 

The designer could feel her heart plummet as her mother’s face dropped even further. Marinette watched as Sabine slowly shook her head before placing a hand on her shoulder comfortingly, “I’m afraid I don’t. Like I said before, it's very rare, and I only know of one other person that had this.”

It was a struggle to keep the tears from escaping her eyes yet she managed to give her mother a wobbly smile, “W-well thank you, I guess. I-I actually have a lot of homework, so I should probably get to that.”

Standing up on wobbly legs, Marinette raced up to her upstairs bedroom, immediately burying her face within her pillow. She shook with silent sobs as the realization that she would never be able to experience the world the way it was intended to be fully hit her. She felt Tikki phase out of her purse and turned to look at her kwami who was looking down at her with sympathy.

“I-I’m so sorry about this, Marinette.”

“Sorry about what, Tikki?” she sniffled slightly, wiping the tears that leaked out of her eyes away with the back of her hand.

The kwami slowly shook her head before patting Marinette’s head comfortingly, “You didn’t give  _ any _ sign that Luka wasn’t your true soulmate, so I just assumed...”

Leaning away from the small, bug-like creature, the designer frowned in confusion, “What do you mean by that?”

“This has happened to miraculous users before, Marinette. Whereas some parts of yourselves are able to fit together naturally the other side of you is... not as compatible.”

She hesitated before speaking softly, “D-do you mean that because I’m Ladybug, L-Luka and I aren’t able to see every color together?”

Tikki paused slightly and Marinette held her breath as she waited for the kwami’s response. Eventually, the kwami nodded her head slowly and the designer felt a rush of breath escape her. Taking in a shaky gasp of air, she flopped back down into her pillow with a quiet whimper.

“It’s going to be alright, Marinette. Just because you and Luka won’t be able to see color together doesn’t mean you don’t love each other,” Tikki tried to comfort the girl who kept her face buried tightly within her pillow.

“But don’t you see, Tikki?!” Marinette finally brought her face up angrily, “This is all my fault! Luka fell in love with me without knowing about Ladybug and so it’s  _ my _ fault that we’ll never be able to see color!”

The kwami frowned as the girl got up out of bed and began pacing on the floor frustratedly, “Now don’t be ridiculous. Of course it’s not your fault, Marinette! Sure, you aren’t perfect for each other but that’s  _ alright _ ! You’re still in love aren’t you!”

Letting out a groan, Marinette flopped to the ground uselessly, “Of course I love him but that doesn’t stop me from feeling guilty! If I wasn’t Ladybug this would have never happened and Luka would be able to see color!”

“But you  _ are _ Ladybug,” Tikki poked her, “And there’s no point in wishing for things that can’t be changed.”

Puffing out her cheeks, the designer slowly released all of the air in her lungs, “You’re right, Tikki, and I don’t think I would give up being Ladybug for anything... even if I could see all the colors in the world.”

“Now there’s my Marinette,” her kwami hugged her cheek slightly.

A small smile spread across her face as she cupped the kwami to her gently. Closing her eyes, she attempted to bury the bitter feelings and instead focus on the good. She reminded herself of her love for Luka and when she was ready, opened her eyes once again to look at the light blue accents scattered across her room. Letting the warm feelings race through her, Marinette let go of Tikki and walked over to the trapdoor leading to her balcony. She heard her kwami follow after her as she pushed open the hatch. Shivering slightly from the cold wind, she leaned against her railing as she watched the sun slowly set across the horizon.

The two watched in silence for a few minutes before Marinette broke it, “What am I going to tell Luka?”

“Just tell him the truth, Marinette. That though you two may not be a perfect match for each other, that you still love him and are willing to work through it,” Tikki’s small voice pierced the night air.

The designer nodded slowly before tugging on one of her pigtails nervously, “You’re right. I just hope that he understands,” she turned to look at her kwami, “Luka really is amazing, Tikki.”

“I’m certain that he will understand, Marinette. Your souls are still connected, it’s just not perfect. You know that right?”

“I understand,” she faced the moon as it slowly rose in the sky, “I just hope that he does,” Marinette whispered quietly.

“Are you ready for patrol?” her kwami broke through the tension that was slowly building up inside of her, “It’s been a slow week and I’m willing to bet that this will get your spirits up,” she winked at her holder cheekily.

The designer nodded with a bright smile, “Of course! You know I’m always ready, Tikki. I’ve just been hoping that Hawkmoth has finally given up.”

The small bug giggled quietly, “Wouldn’t that be nice?”

“Yeah,” Marinette sighed before calling on her transformation, “Tikki, spots on!”

Feeling the magical energy rush through her, the remaining signs of her exhaustion and sadness disappeared. Bouncing slightly on her feet, she excitedly threw her yo-yo onto a nearby rooftop. With a small whoop, Ladybug jumped off, feeling the wind whip through her pigtails as she swung from building to building. Within a few minutes, she was at the Eiffel Tower, waiting for her partner as she gazed down at the city sparkling with lights. A soft smile graced her face as she looked around at the bustling life before her.

“How are you doing on this purrfect night, M’lady?” 

A voice to her left startled her, causing her to jump slightly as Ladybug turned to see Chat Noir right beside her, “Chat! You scared me!”

“My apologies, LB. I thought you heard me arrive,” he smiled slightly.

Her head tilted to the side in confusion as she scanned his face. It was different. Usually, when Chat grinned it was bright and full of beaming energy, but this one seemed strained. With a light frown marring her face, she placed a hand on his shoulder comfortingly, “A-are you alright, Chaton?”

With her words, Ladybug watched his face crumple in shock. Her partner slumped forward and for the first time, she saw him look truly exhausted. Immediately she enraptured him in a large hug, attempting to erase that look from his face.

He chuckled tiredly, wrapping his own arms around her hesitantly as he spoke quietly, “Trust you to see right through me, Ladybug.”

She leaned away, nibbling her look as she looked into her partner’s eyes, “Of course! We’re partners, Chat! I’ll always know when you aren’t feeling well! So tell me what’s wrong!”

The superhero hesitated slightly before glancing away, “I-it’s about a girl.”

Ladybug blinked at him with wide eyes. Her stomach clenched tightly and she shook her head as she stepped out of their embrace. “What do you mean?” she asked as she rubbed her stomach lightly.  _ That was odd _ , she frowned to herself.

“I screwed up, Ladybug,” Chat’s face fell into his palms.

“Screwed up  _ how _ ?” she placed a hand upon his shoulder, attempting to ignore the almost anxious feeling that was welling up inside of her.

“I-I’ve been talking to this civilian,” he turned to look at her sheepishly.

_ Ouch, that hurt, _ Ladybug winced slightly as she tried to imagine what other civilian Chat could be talking too.

Her partner must have misinterpreted her reaction as he rushed to reassure her, “Don’t worry about me ruining our identities! You know and trust her! At least... I assume you do since you allowed me to protect her over the Evillustrator fight.”

He was talking about  _ her _ . For some odd reason, a rush of relief flooded her body with his words. A second later, however, she was frowning. How did he screw things up with her? She had thought things were going well.

“Marinette? Yes, of course I trust her,” Ladybug hesitated before asking her second question quietly, “H-how did you screw things up with her?”

Chat opened his mouth yet closed it a little while later. He slowly shook his head before turning away from her to look out over Paris, “I can’t tell you.”

“What? Of course you can Chat! You trust me, don’t you?” Ladybug grabbed his arm, turning him back to face her. She glanced up at him from beneath her lashes, worrying her lip nervously to hear his response.

He looked between her eyes panickedly before he practically shouted, “I think I fell in love with her!”

The superheroine practically froze up at his words. Her mouth falling open in pure shock and disbelief. She helped him to fall out of love with her only to make him fall in love with...  _ her _ ? Shaking her head furiously, she assumed that she misheard him and whispered, “What?”

“I know it’s wrong of me to fall in love with her! I  _ still _ have feelings for you and yet here I am falling for Marinette as well. I’m so sorry, Ladybug,” Chat’s head dipped in sadness as he stared down at his feet, “But I-I just couldn’t help it... She’s amazing... smart, talented, super funny. I don’t know how I didn’t notice it before. When I went to tell her how I felt though she told me she had already found her soulmate.”

Ladybug choked slightly. That explained  _ why _ Chat looked so distraught last night. He had been trying to confess and she had rejected him once again. Clenching her eyes shut, she tried to forget the almost hopeful feeling welling up inside of her.

_ Luka, you’re in love with Luka. You can’t do this to him... But I don’t want to hurt Chat  _ again _ , either. _

“So I screwed up, terribly. And now I don’t know what to do,” her partner chuckled bitterly.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she took a deep breath, “H-have you told her this?”

Chat’s head snapped to look at her with a wild expression, “What?! Of course not! I would  _ never _ try to come between her and her soulmate!”

Her heart fluttered with happiness at his words and Ladybug soon gasped as a thousand things hit her at once. Oh god, she had feelings for Chat as well as Luka. She had been jealous earlier when he was talking about seeing another civilian. How in the world was she going to be able to keep everyone’s hearts from breaking? Stumbling backwards, she managed to stutter goodbye to him as she made an excuse about starting patrol. However, the rest of her patrol was filled with conflicting and shameful emotions as she berated herself inwardly.

_ You can’t be in love with both Chat and Luka. It isn’t fair to either one of them!! Especially when you’ve only just begun seeing Luka! _

In the end, though, it was a quiet night and Ladybug headed back home rather early as a conflicting swirl of emotions clashed together inside of her stomach. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you like it?! I hope so. Poor Ladybug, poor Chat, and poor Luka!! I don't want either of these sweethearts to get hurt. Next chapter will be some more Marichat as these two slowly work through their emotions. It probably will be another long wait though since I am still preparing for finals Dx. I hope you don't mind tooo much <3\. Comments and kudos are my fave thing ever so consider leaving me some pweaseeee

**Author's Note:**

> Lemme know what you guys think! Also, feel free to send in prompt requests and I'll try to do them as quickly as I can! You can also talk to me anytime you'd like either here or on my Tumblr, aalissy, though my Tumblr is mainly Doctor Who related lol...


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